You Can't Run From The Organization
by Kitsunefan203
Summary: Roxas never wanted to be in the Mob, but now, he's stuck. Its a mystery to all who know him, as to why he's apart of this, can he escape it? Find out in this new fanfic!
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own these characters.

Okay guys, a little heads up on the idea for this crazy KH Fanfic, I was sitting around the house and my brothers were watching The Godfather Part...I don't know which one, but anyway, I got to thinking, that the Organization, Org. XIII, is much like the Mob. No matter what you do to leave, there is no chance leaving, and then I got to thinking, why not make up a Fanfic off that idea? So, here it is folks! Its still a work in progress being that I'm limited on time to get around to posting it up on my computer being that this is FINISHED, on PAPER. But, Community College life, social/family life, and Convention Life coming up next summer here in Southern CA for me, it kinda makes it hard to do it.

Before I continue to ramble, as a heads up NOW, I will be trying to get the rest of this story typed on the Computer and posted during my Winter Break which won't be until after Dec. 20th due to I have Finals: Dec. 17th, 18th, and 20th. So, if you guys can bear with me, I would greatly appreciate it.

Chapter 1:

"You can't turn your back on the Organization!" screamed a fiery red head as he grabbed the arm of a young boy of only 15 with almost dirty blonde hair and turned him back to meet his emerald green eyes.

"No one would miss me...besides...I'm already a dead man walking," the teen as he yanked away from the red head; he started to round the corner and as in that short time. The sounds of shots could be heard ringing out through the street as the sound of someone falling to the ground, writhing in pain was heard among the muffled scream of another shot heard.

"ROXAS!" the red head's voice screamed out through the night air as he rounded the corner to find that it wasn't the blonde on the ground, but a Dusk starting to disappear into nothing. When did all this begin? Why did it happen and what brought on the tight knit family union of all the Members. Why were they dressed as Roaring 20s mobsters bent on making sure that no one left; regardless of what the Boss had said about there was no way, you could ever leave with your life.

"Roxas...you may have managed to escape, but...you can never escape the past," the red head muttered as he kicked at the final remaining dust particles that lingered on the wind of the Dusk that had attempted to end the young teen's life.

What had brought about this strange turn of events to cause the young teen to have to sneak off from the Organization in the deep, dark, darkness of the night? Nothing or no one could explain the reasoning behind it. Only the young teen who was slipping away into the night and towards the unknown knew the reason. It would be best to start at the beginning to tell the full story of how all that had just unfolded came to be.

The year was 1923; the jazz band was the biggest thing at the time and the action of Prohibition was in full swing, the Swingers and Flapper girls were seen upon the streets. They were as decorative as the street lights of the city itself; the Flapper Girls could always be seen walking the streets heading towards a local Jazz Club to try and score it easy with any man willing to buy them a drink or even two. Sometimes it became something more; the Jazz band was in full swing as the sound of the MC walking up to the Standing Microphone could be heard among the loud noises of the busy and bustling Jazz Hall.

"Now listen hear all you guys and dolls, groovy and smooth cats...Jazz Master Demyx is here to lie down some new tunes he wrote himself today, hit it boy," the sly tone of a man remarked as his platinum blonde hair, that had been hidden by a fedora was removed and he bowed to the young Jazz Man.

The Jazz Man was a dirty blonde haired young man; he had a small quirky smile painted upon his lips as he walked forward and began to strum away on the instrument in his hands. The instrument started out slow and easy, the tune was simple, but as the drummer and other members of the band took the hint; the speed increased, ten fold.

"Let's kick this town into gear!" the dirty blonde announced to the band as he went to town on his instrument.

The band struck up as the patrons got up from their seats and began to dance to the lively tune. The young bartender watched as he tapped a finger against the counter in beat to the song as he hummed along with it.

"The boys got talent, I'll give him that much," the dark browned haired bartender remarked; his hair was semi spiked back as he walked up to the counter and saw that he had patrons, "What can I do for you gentlemen?"

The men seemed like shady characters; not the typical kind of people you would usually see in the Jazz Club.

"We wish to speak to your manager on behalf our 'friend'," the gruff voiced man with elongated side burns gruffly remarked; his eyes were deep and dark.

The bartender took no time in taking the hint as he made sure that no one saw the transaction as he leaned forward and whispered to the man, "Go around the back and wait for me...give three knocks, one loud and the other two soft...Don't let anyone know you are here," the man looked up and down the counter bar again.

"Sure thing," the man motioned with his head and body language to the other two sitting next to him as they got up and followed.

"Who were those men, Mr. Leonhart?" a timid, but yet medium pitched voice asked; it came from the young blonde teen holding a tub of dirty dishes from busing the tables in his arms. "Just some 'special' customers of Mr. Wise...besides, don't you have dish duty to be doing instead of snooping around behind my back and wondering what I'm doing?" the man sharply as he glared at the blonde; the blonde took the hint as he nodded his head frightened.

"Ye...Yes...Yes sir...Sorry sir," the blonde balanced the tub while running to back to the kitchen to proceed.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own these characters.

Chapter 2:

"That kid is timid, but yet, he's quick on his feet...but...he also a bit of a problem when it comes to keeping his nose out of other peoples business," the man looked back at the bar as he wiped it down and then proceeding to clean a cup, "Especially business regarding the Mob."

The blonde wasted no time in dumping the dirty dishes into the wash as he saw the other Kitchen Hands cleaning and some cooking up the food that made the patrons return. It may have been the food that brought them back, but those who worked at the Jazz Club knew it wasn't the food; it was the music, the music that floated from the Hall and onto the streets of the town of Brooklyn.

The music continued to kick up and then it slowed down slightly to a small pace to allow the band to catch up from the last moment of wild fun that had been started by Jazz Master Demyx.

"Oh boy, the Musician tonight sure struck up storm, didn't he, he sure knows how to bring them, huh?" the teen asked no one in particular as he washed the dishes while a young woman with long jet black hair rushed about trying to fill orders.

"Huh…what did you say, I'm sorry kid; this place is so crazy tonight. Yeah, Jazz Master Demyx sure knows how to bring in the crowds, but you've got to wonder why the Boss hired him," the young woman brushed a stray strand of black hair from tan complex skinned face, "When that kid first came here; he wasn't all that good, but out of the blue, he gets good...I've got a theory."

"What's your theory?" the teen put the wet dishes aside after drying them.

"It's nothing...just grown up talk," the young woman seemed rational and calm until she slammed a hand onto the kitchen counter, "I ORDERED A NEW YORK STEAK WITH A LOADED POTATO OVER AN HOUR AGO! WHAT IS TAKING YOU SCREW HEADS SO LONG TO GET MY ORDER?!"

The sound of a bell ringing and the dish sliding through the muttering and mumbled complaining of the Chef was heard, "Thank You, Cid!"

"That woman has one sharp tongue, and people ask me why I still work here when I get the same, almost the same, attitude from my wife back home, I swear," Chef Cid remakred through a cigarette clenched in his teeth as he went back to muttering and mumbling about the Waitress who had just been in the kitchen.

"Ms. Lockhart does have a sharp tongue, but maybe that's why she's paid more then you," the teen scoffed, but he would learn to regret those words the moment he heard the sound of kitchen tools dropped and the heavy stomping of the Chef stomping up behind him.

His hands were wrenched out of the soapy water as he was spun around by his wrists so that he was staring into the fiery, red glare of the angered chef; grease was splattered on the man's face, "You know what kid, you just earned yourself a visit to the Boss' Office, come on, let's go," Cid said as he grabbed the teen by the lobe of his ear and gruffly dragged him to the Manager's office.

All the teen could do was silently curse under his breath, as he seethed from the fiery pain shooting through his ear.

"OKAY! OKAY! OW! I'M COMING WITH YOU! YOU DON'T HAVE TO HOLD ON TO MY EAR!" the teen bellowed through the loud hall as the music was in full swing again as Cid lead the kid through the backside of the Club.

"So, is this place he said we are to enter through?" a man with striped hair asked their lead man as he leaned against the wall while watching his watch.

"Yes, but it's not time yet," another man, with sideburns, remarked as he kept his eyes peeled on the alleyway.

"Just chill, Xigbar, you are too tense...just listen to the Jazz flowing out...once the kid is done for the night, then we can go in," a fiery red haired man remarked as he blew off a plume of smoke from the small cigarette clenched in his teeth, "Besides, we don't need the outside World knowing our dirty work, Hmph, idiot."

"Will both of you just SHUT UP!" the side burned man shouted as kicked over a trash can.

The sound of a door opening beside them changed the situation, "Are you idiots trying to attract attention? Come on, my Boss is waiting," Squall leered at the men.

Cid was making his way to the Boss' office when he heard the sound of Squall and the men walking to the office, "I'll let you off this time, but just this once! You hear me?" Cid brushed the kid off.

"Yeah, yeah, I hear you, geez, take it easy, Old Man," the teen scoffed sarcastically, but he felt something more then ear yanking from before.

His head stung with pain from Cid slugging him in the head.

"Watch your mouth you little punk, now, get your butt back to work," Cid shoved the teen back to the kitchen as Cid stayed back for a moment, _"This 'Deal' better go down the right way, Squall, or else there will be Hell to pay and I don't mean in money..."_

The teen made his way back to the kitchen, but there was a nagging feeling at the back of his head that was telling him to go back.

Or maybe it was because the MC was behind him, "Hey kid, what are you doing here at the Club still?" the platinum blonde haired man dipped his hat low as did his eyes.

"I work here...and was on my way back to work," the teen lied through his teeth.

"Oh really, why don't we go have a little chat with the Boss, shall we?" the man tipped the hat up with his hand and cradled the teens shoulders as if ushering a sheep to the slaughter.

The teen gulped hard as he was lead down the dark hall back to the office; he could hear men talking, and it grew louder with each faithful step until the sound of a struggle could be heard and guns drawn.

"PUT THOSE THINGS AWAY YOU IDIOTS!" a gruff voice shouted as the sound of hand slamming on the table was heard.

"I WOULD RATHER DIE IN PLACE OF GIVING UP MY BUSINESS TO YOU THUGS!" the all too familiar voice of Mr. Wise shouted; his voice was angered and defensive.

"That could be arranged," the gruff voiced man responded; as the sound of the hammer cocking back on his pistol could be heard and the slight gasp of the older gentlemen, Mr. Wise, as he gasped at the thought that his life was about to end in this office.

"Xaldin! If you do this, the Boss will find out and he'll have OUR heads," the fiery red head shouted as he holstered his pistol and tried to knock some sense into the muscle headed man.

The MC knocked lightly on the door as he did the coded knock as Mr. Wise called out, "Come in, Luxord," he straightened his shirt and tie as the others moved to the walls to hide in the shadows of the room.

"You should know, I'm not alone...it seems one of your little mice was still scurrying about after business hours," Luxord's muffled voice came through the door.

"Great, now we have a witness," Xigbar whispered as he leaned next to the fiery red head who had removed his pistol, but waited as the hand of Xaldin told him other wise.

"Come in, it's not like there isn't anything to hide," Mr. Wise played along with the mood of the room.

Luxord led the young teen in as he shoved him forward towards the desk; it was too much at once as the young teen tried to get his locked one thing and only one thing. "Well, well, Roxas, what do I owe the pleasure of this?" Mr. Wise leaned forward onto his desk, never once removing his eyes from the other men around the room.

_"Damn it!"_ Cid cursed softly under his breath as tried not to slam a hand against the wall from where he and Squall were watching.

"Chill, Cid, chill," Squall reprimanded through gritted teeth as he lightly elbowed him.

The men on the walls began to make their moves as the clicking of guns; one of them was aimed at the back of Roxas' head and in the same spot as where Cid had slugged him.

"Little mice are meant to be seen and not heard, or; is it the other way around or not at all?" Xigbar sarcastically smirked as he cocked the pistol.

"WAIT!" Mr. Wise's voice rang out as he reached out a hand across the desk, but it was too late.

The sound of a shot firing off was heard as it resonated through the room; Squall and Cid cursed softly behind the wall. They knew the deal was going to go sour the moment they saw how Roxas had been reacting and the fact that these men decided to show up unannounced and before they were expected to even be at the Club.

"I guess that answers that question," Xigbar blew at the smoke coming off the pistol.

The body of the once lively Mr. Wise was now lying sprawled across the oak furniture desk; the blood was seeping into the woodwork. Roxas sat on the floor stunned as his eyes went wide with fear as the voices around him became garbled and combined as they swirled around him. His head screamed over and over to get up and run from the building. His legs felt like he had been placed in cold cement to be tossed into the Hudson River. His mouth was dry with fear as all he could do was faint to floor which caused the men to stop their fighting as they glanced over to the young boy.

"Oh man...now, we've got a dead body, a busted deal, and NOW, a fainted kid on the floor," Xigbar remarked angrily as he softly cursed.

The red headed member walked over and picked the kid up bridal style as he looked around for what to do next, "Just shut up! Let's go out of here before..." he would've finished his sentence had it not been for the sound of Cops swarming the building.

"It's the Fuzz, let's get out of here, Luxord, met us at the 'Usual Place'," Xaldin remarked quickly as the other two made their escape.

"Right," Luxord snuck out through a secret door in the room.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own these characters.

Chapter 3:

Within moments of the shot, the Cops had entered the office to find the limp, and lifeless body of the once owner of Twilight Jazz Club. Squall and Cid were later discovered behind another wall and had suspected them of being the killers even through their words of saying that a Mobster did it.

"Tell it to the judge, you liars," one of the officers remarked as Squall and Cid as he roughly sat them in the Police Cruisers.

The men from before were hiding in an alleyway in an inconspicuous looking car that later pulled out onto the street and made its way towards Little Italy.

"We are in a heap of trouble now," Xigbar remarked as he slammed his hands against the steering wheel as he sat in the car; the car was parked in a secret garage of the Mob hideout.

"Its alright, as long as the Boss doesn't question us about the kid, we'll be alright," Xaldin leaned over the back of the Passenger seat and looked at the limp figure in the red head's arms, "Axel, you going to keep cradling that kid or what, Mother Teresa?"

"Shut up, Xaldin," Axel pushed a hand into Xaldin's face as the car made its final ascent to the secret parking Garage.

"Alright, get out quietly and without incident," Xaldin shut his car door; Xigbar and Axel followed suit.

Axel held the kid in his arms as they made their way to the Boss' office to tell him what had happened at the Jazz Club; things were going smooth until the small interruption that had been Roxas. Back at the club, things were crazy, the Club was to be closed for Investigation by order of Officer Strife as he scoured the Dance Hall and saw that the only thing strange about it was the still messy tables from the party that evening. "Mr. Nocturne, could you tell me anything you might know about what happened?" Officer Strife questioned the man as he walked up to Demyx who was puffing on a small stick cigarette, as he blew the smoke; it seemed to curl about his head.

A small smirk crossed his face, "Hey man, I only play the scene here; I don't know the inner workings of it all, okay?" Demyx took another drag on the cancer stick before putting it out on the smooth tile of the Stage, "All I know is that hours after I left, there was an incident here, end of story."

Officer Strife wasn't to taking lightly to smart mouth people and was willing to do whatever he had to do get some answers, "Thank you for your help, Mr. Nocturne," Officer Strife walked about the Hall.

The peering eyes of Ms. Lockhart were locked on him as if she was studying him; she knew something had been going on for many months now, but, now she was worried that their little plan of working with the Mob and getting a small profit from them by them putting various members into the Club.

Luxord and Demyx were the only two that worked at the Club, Cid and Squall had only been undercover Cops that had gotten caught up in the glimmer and glam of a life of being handed money from under the table. Cid and Squall had been placed in undercover duty due to orders and understandings from a member of the Mob Family who had been picked up for suspicion of trafficking alcohol illegally.

He had sung like a Canary and told them everything he knew; the two of them were placed on the case, but in the world of Organized Crime and corruption in the Jazz Clubs lately, they had just gotten swept up into it.

"Let's get going back to the station, guys," Officer Strife waved his hand halfheartedly in the area as to motion for the men to leave.

"Something is suspicious about this Officer Strife guy...he doesn't seem like your normal type of Fuzz," Ms. Lockhart encurled her chin with her fingers as she watched him leave.

She started to clean up, but almost halfway through, she decided to drop what she was doing and shout, "WHERE IN THE HELL IS ROXAS!?! THIS IS HIS JOB! THAT LITTLE BRAT!" she shouted angrily as she dropped the dirty dishes and trash bags on the floor as she scoured the Hall for the blonde teen.

Her angered began to boil and build, but as she came upon where, her now dead Boss, had been found; she couldn't help but peek in and look to see if he was in the room. "He's not here either...what in the world happened in here? And where is Roxas?" Ms. Lockhart pondered.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own these characters.

Chapter 4:

Back at the Mob Headquarters, Xaldin motioned for the other two to stay back as he knocked on the Boss' door and was beckoned in. Xigbar and Axel were told to wait outside, but Axel had taken his leave to take the young teen to a quiet room to let him recover from the shock. The silence wouldn't last for long as the sound of a chair breaking against someone was heard resonating throughout the hallowed halls.

"YOU IMBECILE! YOU IDIOT!! HOW COULD YOU RUIN SUCH A DEAL! I CAN BELIEVE YOUR INCOMPETENCE!!" the Boss shouted as he berated the man before him.

"I take all punishment that you dish out, Sir," Xaldin, without any regard for the pain coursing through his body, took the full blame for the fallen through deal.

"Get out of my sight before I kill you," the Boss' chest heaved, rose and fell, against the anger in his chest.

"Yes sir," Xaldin remarked as he walked out with a small piece of his pride and even what ego he had left hanging off of him in the form a slight sliver of blood trickling down his swollen lip.

Axel sat beside the bedside of the young boy as a he brushed a stray strand from his hair, but the sound of a young woman coming in, was enough to startle him as a woman with striking blonde haired that was pulled back into the style of the day walked in.

She held in her hands a cold wash cloth to place on the young man's face and even smelling salts if need be to arouse the young man from his fainting spell as she roughly pushed Axel out of the way.

"Time to wake up, kiddo," the young woman remarked as she shoved the smelling salts under his nose and the wash cloth over his face.

The minute the bottle was shoved under his nose, his senses kicked in as he quickly sat up, almost too fast as his head became to get dizzy and spin; he felt he was going to hurl onto the floor.

This was settled by the wet wash cloth being stuck into his mouth as another was planted against his face and he was forced to lie down and rest, "Don't let him get up, and I mean it!" the fierce blonde pointed an accusing finger at Axel.

"Fine, fine, I promise not to let him get up your Highness…Larxene," Axel mockingly sneered as he made a face at her from behind her back.

The man had either forgotten his brain and common sense in his other head or even in another pair of his pants, or maybe he had forgotten that in the room there was not only a mirror hanging over the bed but also on the back of the door. She saw this mockery as she turned and tossed a handful of daggers his way before she walked out, "Mock me will you? Hmph, you have a lot of nerve and I guess a lot of balls to be pulling something stupid," Larxene smugly shut the door behind her; leaving the idiot red head pinned to the wall.

"She surely doesn't like you," Roxas muttered as he held his head in his hands from the overwhelming smell of smelling salts playing and dancing inside his head.

"What would you know? You are just some nosey little brat who was in the wrong place at the wrong time," Axel started to make his escape off the wall.

Roxas grew silent as moved his hands from his face moved them to his knees as he hugged them against his chest and rested his forehead on his knees as he silently started to sob, but it was muffled. He didn't want to show this mobster the fact that in one way or another, the actions of the past moments had gotten to him, "Why…why did you…you…you monsters…"Roxas softly spoke through a tearful sob in his throat.

Axel was finally off the wall and was using the darts to pin them into the Dart board on the wall by the doorway, he tried to disregard the kid's words and sobbing cries, "It was just a job kid…it was liable to happen, one way or another, that's just the way life in a Mob World ruled way is," the final dart hit the middle of the Dart board, "You aren't born into this World knowing how to kill or without the commence decency and morals to know that killing someone under orders of someone else is wrong."

This was the way of the World and in this time, it was. Axel took the time to move over to the Dart board and remove the darts and place them in a drawer for later usage, maybe for a game, or something else. His eyes roamed back over to the blonde haired, blue eyed, teen and his heart seemed to leap and his mind seemed to be kicking him to go over and comfort the teen.

Other signs and signals were going off and telling him to just leave the kid alone, he would get over the tragedy soon enough, but he couldn't help but feel sorry for the kid for some reason. He had been the same position almost 10 years prior, but, instead of a Mob man doing the killing; _he, _yes, Axel himself had been placed in the dirty position and standing to do the job.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I do not own these characters.

Chapter 5:

"_Come on kid, either you do this or we kill you because I don't think your Daddy would like to know that you've been doing something for the Mob, now do you?" Luxord prodded the young as he placed a small arms caliber pistol in the young red head's hands._

"_Just aim, pick the target…and BOOM!" another voice from behind him remarked as he placed a light hand upon the boy's shoulder as the slender fingers moved over his as the gun, no longer trembling, rose up and aimed, took fire and shot the man before the young man._

_The man who had been standing in front of the red head had been his father, Reno, the man had been known as a honest man, but it seemed that ever since Prohibition had been implemented; he was seeking new means of business. He had done it by running errands for the Mob, but he was lately stealing funds from the errands and jobs he had been doing. His son had overheard the men talking one evening and knew that his Dad was in trouble._

"_So, you want to save your Dad?" Xemnas' amber eyes peered through the darkness of his office; his men were along the sides of his desk._

"_Ye...Ye...YES!" the red head responded, tears staining his face._

"_Hmm…there is something you could do to save him," a long haired blonde moved forward and draped his arms down the front of the young boy as something cold and metal was placed in his hands, "You could do our job for us."_

_He understood, but his young mind was screaming otherwise until he heard the "BANG" of the pistol being shot off regardless of his Father's pleas to not do it while all the while, the Mob Boss was watching. _

_He saw the shot fire off and a small smile crossed his face; "Very well done, Axel, very well done, you shall make a fine addition to our little family," the Boss took the pistol from the young man's shaking hands and patted him lightly on the head as he was taken by the hand and lead away into the night._

"Father…I'm sorry…."Axel softly spoke out as he felt hot tears starting to hit on his face and onto the hardwood floor of the room; he wiped away at them as he left the room, "I suggest you get some rest…tomorrow, you met our Boss; hopefully he won't decide to kill you."


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I do not own these characters.

Chapter 6:

Roxas took the hint as he lifted his head and saw Axel walking from the room as he lay back onto the bed and pulled the bed sheets up over his head and started to cry softly into the pillow. Axel couldn't explain why he was feeling like such a softhearted fool as of late, it had to be the kid, but, it couldn't be.

It had been far too long since he had last cried; even when he saw a young woman he had fallen for many years ago, long before joining the Mob, fall to the ground as a man in a carriage charge on forth. She had been his sister, Namine; she had been only at least 4 years old and looked up to her big brother. She wanted to go wherever he went, but, he never wanted her to tag along, but she would always follow him. The day it happened, was a day, he wished he could replay over again and fix the situation from happening again. When you have been working as a hired thug or muscle for the Mob by the time you are at least 15; you don't have time to remember the past or feel sympathy.

"So, Luxord, where's the Nocturne brat?" Axel looked to the platinum blonde haired man standing in the alley outside the Mob Headquarters.

"He's probably off at some late night club, soaking up the tunes of the evening even though he had just played that evening," Luxord puffed at his cigarette before handing it to Axel who took a drag on it.

"He surely doesn't have a brain, I'll give him that," Axel remarked as he talked with the cigarette between his teeth before taking it out to puff out a plume of smoke that encurled his head.

"But he's got a heart for the music," Luxord took another drag on the shared cigarette.

"Hmph, a heart," Axel mockingly laughed as leaned against the alleyway wall, "What heart does he possess if we are a Mob without hearts?"

The Member in question was humming a happily, jazzy tune as he headed home, but as he placed his hand on the door handle, he felt someone pressing something into his back, "May I ask the reason why you have a gun pointed into my back, Officer Strife?" Demyx sarcastically and jokingly remarked, as he turned to face the Officer.

"I have a few questions to ask you, Mr. Nocturne," Officer Strife motioned for Demyx to open the door as he then motioned him to the couch that sat along a wall.

"Now, are you going to keep waving that around or do I have to call someone to make you stop?" Demyx jokingly pointed out, his hands still raised.

Officer Strife put the weapon away as his body language gave Demyx the okay to relax as he proceeded to question him.

"So tell me, do you have any connection with the local Mob family: Organization XIII?" Officer Strife pulled out a small notepad to take down some notes from anything Demyx might spill out in the midst of the conversation.

"I've heard of them, if that's what you're thinking, but no, I'm not apart of their little 'family'," Demyx started to remove a small cigarette stick from a pack that was in his shirt pocket.

Officer Strife continued to question him until he was sure he had all he needed, "I'm sorry for taking all your time like this Mr. Nocturne, but, I'll be checking in now and again," Officer Strife got up and moved to the door.

"Thanks for stopping by Officer Strife, see you around," Demyx shut and locked the door.

He decided that it was best to make sure that those close to him knew about the Officers visit, "Get me the Godfather...Xemnas, you idiot! Tell him Number IX has some news for him...its regarding the fuzz," Demyx coldly eyed the door and removed a hidden pistol from his side and placed it on the table.

"I'll tell him...okay...until then, good bye," a soft toned voice responded as he brushed the hair that hung over his right hair from his face, "It seems we are hitting problems."

Demyx was still upbeat from the nights ventures as he walked over and poured a glass of brandy into a short glass cup as he quickly gulped it down before he tossed the glass at the wall, "That brat...he's the key to all our plans and he screwed them up royally from the start," Demyx swore under his breath as he poured another glass of brandy and proceeded to sip at it as he worked on a new tune.


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I do not own these characters.

Chapter 7:

Roxas was lying in the bed and as he fell into a deep sleep; his mind began to play over and over the events that had taken place hours previously. The men from before looked like demons in his dreams as he tried to run from them in his dream, even in the bed, his feet and legs even arms were moving as if he was trying to run away. "No...No...Go away...please...don't do it...don't do it…Don't Do It...DON'T DO IT!" his voice rang out as he fell out of bed and onto the floor where he sat up on his hands and knees as he looked about his surroundings as a cold sweat broke across his face.

"A dream...it was a dream...just a stupid dream...but, but why did it feel so real?" Roxas asked to the silence as he gained his breath and sat back against the bed and tried to make sense of what was happening to him.

Was he starting to lose sense of all that he knew about his life? Was there something working against him to change him? Why was he feeling like he was meaning to be here?

"God...what is happening to me? Answer me that one question, God..." Roxas muttered into the dark and silence of the room as he got back into the bed and fell back asleep.

The nightmare was gone as he began to sleep peacefully; the next weeks that would pass seemed to pass by like a fly zipping through the summer air; all that transpired next was nothing short of amazing and shocking.

The weeks turned into months and the months turned into years as the next two to three years seemed to be passing by so quickly for Roxas as he started to change and become part of the family. He became the youngest hired man and muscle.

"Hey, Roxas, mind grabbing me a beer from the bar," a man with lightly pink tinted hair asked, as he walked up to the bar in the Mob headquarters.

"Do you honestly think I would do that for you? I'm not even suppose to be on this side of the bar," Roxas remarked sharply; his sharp wit and tongue had been the only true weapon in his arsenal besides the guns the others seemed to wield.

"How about, you shut up and just get me the damn beer, you snot nosed little brat!" the man slammed his fist down on the counter of the bar.

"Hey, Marluxia, don't take it out on the kid, Roxas, just give him the damn beer before he loses a strand of that stupid hair of his," the smart mouth tone of the fiery red head covered for the boy as he leaned on the edge of the bar.

Roxas stared down to the edge of the bar in the direction of where Axel stood leaning on the edge of the bar, his elbows resting on the edging as he stood with his dress shirt slightly unbuttoned due to the lack of cooling system in the stifling hot building.

"Axel, for the rest of us, would you mind closing your shirt or getting an undershirt on to wear around the building?" a man with slicked back, cotton candy blue hair glared down the way at Axel as his moonlight pale yellow eyes seemed to stare down at him.

"Yes, Mother," Axel remarked mockingly.

"Don't mock me, Axel, I am the Boss' right hand man and let's just say, I hold rank over you in this little 'Family', remember that," the man turned his attention back to Roxas, "Just get Marluxia his beer."

"Come on, Saix, liven up a little," the slightly upbeat tone of a voice came from the doorway of the front door of the Club, "Are you always going to have a stick up your butt or are you ever going to learn live with things?"

"If I recall, Demyx, I don't recall asking your opinion," Saix turned around and glared at the instrument carrying Water Sprite.

"Alright, but I guess you don't want my opinion on the fact that it seems the Fuzz has been staking out this place the past week and a half or have you guys gotten too comfortable to realize that?" Demyx looked behind him to the window where he saw a makeshift Ice Cream truck parked some distance down the street.

The Boss and a man who stood a few or so inches shorter then him with short cut, wavy auburn hair walked alongside him as the Boss motioned with his eyes to draw down the curtains and to lock the doors.

"I see you have become observant and less of a dunderhead, Demyx," the Boss turned his attention and eyes to the dirty blonde haired musician.

"Godfather," Demyx walked over and leaned down to kiss the ring upon the man's hand, "I have news regarding what's been going on."


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I do not own these characters.

Chapter 8:

"Business later, first, we eat, Roxas! Bring on the food," Xemnas motioned forth for the food.

"Yes, sir," Roxas pulled out Marluxia's beer and set it on the counter to let it collect moisture on the counter while he went into the back and returned with the food.

"Thank you, Roxas, now, why don't you go take some time off for the evening, I'll call for you when we are done," Xemnas remarked as he waved the young teen off as the others sat down and proceeded to talk in secret.

Glares and leers were seen around as they talked in depth and tried to make sure that Roxas wasn't within hear distance.

"Okay, I guess I'll see you when I see you, sir," Roxas undid the apron about his waist and placed it on the counter.

He straightened his clothes and pull out the fedora he had been given and went out through the back entrance to the alleyway and out onto the streets. There wasn't much hustle and bustle on a day like today; it was Sunday so many people were in the local Church attending to the services and listening to the word of God.

"If there truly is a God, why doesn't he doesn't he deliver me from the Hell I've been allotted," Roxas softly remarked under his breath as he passed St. John the Divine Cathedral.

The sounds of the Church congregation singing a soulful old hymn could be heard flittering out into the streets and into the ears of those who passed by its tall Cathedral ceilings and Gothic exterior. The sounds of the end of service bells rang out as Roxas started to pass by the doors and as he did; he didn't expect to see the familiar auburn hair of someone he knew.

"Is that...no, it couldn't be...is that, Sora?" Roxas asked out loud as he tipped up his fedora to see the smiling face of the auburn boy he had befriended so many years ago standing beside his brother who was slightly taller then the boy with the same auburn hair.

"Sora, you really need to learn to stay awake during the sermons, Father Yen Sid could hear you snoring clear up into the rafters," Squall elbowed his younger brother lightly as he saw Sora stretching still.

"Oh come on, it's hard to stay awake at times, especially with how slow he speaks the sermons," Sora remarked as he stretched and yawned at the same time.

"Hmph, what am I going to do with you?" Squall asked out loud as his eyes moved down the stairs to the young blonde teen staring up at them, "What the...is that?" "What is what, brother?" Sora asked questioningly and puzzled as he saw the look of wonder and worry on his face.

"Could it...no it couldn't possibly be, Roxas?" Squall asked out loud as the last word escaped his mouth within hearing of Sora.

"What, Roxas? Where?!" Sora quickly looked ahead as his eyes darted about and gazed out over the numerous heads in front of him.

Squall wasted no time in dashing down the cement like stairs after Roxas, but before he could make it to Roxas; he had been stopped by Father Yen Sid.

"Where you are off to in such a hurry, Mr. Leonhart?" Father Yen Sid asked the man with a slight smile on his face as he shook Squall's hand.

Squall's eyes darted over the padded shoulders of the Priest as he started to look for Roxas, but, he was already gone.

"Brother, why were you running away?" Sora asked as he clung to Squall's arm as they walked home.

Squall's eyes were squared, rounded and firmly set on something that he was thinking about; he only got this way when he was deep in thought.

"Brother!" Sora screeched out as if trying to get his attention.

"WHAT IS IT!?!" Squall shouted as he pulled away from Sora as to glare into his face.

"I'm sorry...I didn't realize you were deep in thought," he started to sniff slightly as he wiped away at a few tears in his eyes, "I'm sorry."

Squall could see he had hurt his brother's feelings as he stopped him on the sidewalk and knelt down to his level as he wiped away his tears.

"I'm sorry, little man, I've just...I've just been tied up with a lot of work lately since that bust at the Jazz Club a couple of years ago. The Chief still hasn't forgiven me for getting in so deep," Squall tried to apologize as he scratched the back of his head in thought as he stood straight back up.

Sora had known how stressful his big brother's job had been lately; he was also aware of the late night's he was spending away from home. He was always come home at almost the crack of dawn and sleeping most of the day only to wake up about mid-day to go back to his job.

"Its alright, I forgive you," Sora beamed a smile across his face.

"Hmmm, I see that not only can I not stay mad at you for long, I guess you can't either with me," Squall playfully ruffled his brother's hair.

"Brother, who were you chasing after back at the Church?" Sora asked as they headed home.

"It was nothing, I thought I saw someone I knew," Squall lied through his teeth to cover up the truth, _"Roxas...what are you doing dressed like a Mobster...why?"_


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I do not own these characters.

Chapter 9:

Roxas was hiding in fear for his life, but also off the adrenaline rush of seeing a friend he hadn't seen in what had seemed an eternity, a thousand questions screamed out in his head. Many of them being about his brother, Officer Cloud Strife and whether or not his brother was still on the force, and if so, what would happen or pass between them if their paths ever crossed again.

If Squall was on the force still at this time; it meant his brother had to been on the force as well, or could it not be true that his brother was on the force; had his brother given it up to search for him? It had been almost two years since the once swinging and prosperous Jazz Club, Twilight Jazz, had seen a happy and joyful face; it had become a place of solace and silence.

Not many visited it as of late after the late Owner's death at the hands of the Mob, many believed that within in another year, it would fail to see another patron pass through its doors, or hear the sound of smooth, sweet Jazz echo throughout its halls. There was reason to believe its closure was imminent due to the trial pending against under the suspicion that had been working a racketeering business for the Mob to work through the time of the Prohibition.

"I hope they didn't see me…if my Brother," Roxas stopped in mid sentence; the very word "Brother" seemed to be like a venomous sting on his lips.

That one simple phrase had been absent from his vocabulary for so long that its mere phrasing was like a poisonous sting upon his dry lips, "Does my…does that man even care or know I exist anymore?"

"You can either spend your short time off pondering the meaning of life or you can get your butt back to Headquarters," the gruff and salty toned voice of Axel remarked as he stood against the dumpster.

The only real light around him was the one given off by the end of the lit cigarette that danced on his lips; "How…how did…when," Roxas sputtered and stuttered the words like a baby learning to speak.

"It's not that hard to find you kid, you're about the only kid in this entire city, under the age of 18, who isn't smoking and the feign innocence you seem to give off," Axel took one last drag and then deposited it onto the floor of the alleyway.

"Are you always this charming or are you just laying it on thick to make good with someone?" Roxas remarked sarcastically as he began to move out of the alleyway, but Axel's firm grip stopped him where he stood.

"You act so tough now, but what are you to do if the Boss finds out your own brother is a cop?" Roxas was frightened at the mere thought of his brother being found out and risking getting him killed.

"So, what's it going to be kid?" Axel held onto Roxas' arm still until he finally felt less resistance and let the kid go.

Roxas' feet felt like they were bolted to the ground with cement, his mouth was dry as cotton as he waited to utter the next words that escaped his mouth, "Whatever I do, there is no way out, is there?" he asked as he glanced at Axel

"That's the life we are allotted kid," Axel walked past Roxas and out towards the mouth of the alleyway.

It seemed that was how life was to play, like a cruel and never ending play that would continue to play out and mock him constantly until no end as if to tell him that there was no way to escape fate. It was a cruel and sadistic world, but yet, he was forced to play a role in its never ending storyline; he wanted to wake up from whatever nightmare or dream this was and have life be like it used to be.

"Come on, let's get back before the Boss gets suspicious," Axel called out to Roxas from the mouth of the alleyway while sitting in an old car with the passenger door open.


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimers: I do not own these characters.

Chapter 10:

Officer Strife opened the door to his small apartment and like everyday since the incident at the Jazz Club; he would remark to the hallowed and darkened walls of the apartment; "Hey, Roxas, I'm home."

It had become a norm now to just say out those few words if it only meant the walls and darkened corners of the apartment would be the only ones to hear the cheerful and greeting words. Sadly, their lack of ability to speak in response to the greeting was the only thing of the darkened and silent home hard to bear and live in without the light that Roxas brought into seem livable.

"I guess he's out, again," Officer Strife solemnly went about his life and set down his coat and other belongings wherever he saw fit.

As if it weren't truly apparent, that the person, of which those greeting words of acknowledgment to let anyone within the home know he had returned, was not in the home when he passed by the bedroom that had been the recipient's.

"You going to sulk forever, or are you going to get over it?" a mystery man inquired as he sat at the small table in the kitchen.

"Cid, what have I told you about coming into my house when I'm not here?" Officer Strife lowered his pistol and holstered it.

"You sure are on edge, chill, and have a drink," Cid walked over to Cloud and handed him a glass of cheap brandy.

The two men sat and talked, but it wasn't long before the topic turned to the ever alive topic of Roxas; it had been almost two years and most of the Police Force had written Roxas off as a lost cause as just someone who had fallen in with the Mob. He had fallen in between the cracks of the Crime World and was to be accepted as such and not to be brought up again. Cloud, on the other hand, wasn't about to give into that assumption.

"When Lieutenant Leonhart and I were working that place, we tried to keep our eyes on your brother, he was a good kid," Cid finished off the final swallow of cheap alcohol.

"And I 'thank you' you both…I'm just curious of the night you two were arrested at the Club, the night the Owner was found dead, what happened?" Cloud asked as he sat down on the sofa beside Cid.

"As far as I remember; it was to be a simple transaction, but the owner was unwilling to sell out to the two men, but that all changed once your brother got thrown into the fray," Cid sat back against the back of the couch.

Cloud cursed lightly as he slammed his fist and the glass onto the small wooden coffee table, "What in the world caused him to be thrown in?" Cloud angrily remarked through gritted teeth.

"It seems, one of the guys found him heading back to work and must have mistaken him for listening in," Cid began as the moment began to reveal itself in front of the men in an instant as it began to replay again.

The moment began to unfold again almost as visibly and as vivid as the day it happened; it would've cause others to scream out in fear due to the unknown, but the two men watched intently. You could almost smell the sweat from the men as it mixed with their uneasiness, fear and several other mixed feelings that seeped forth as they watch the vivid reenactment. The look of shock and fear on their faces was visible and every fear line was etched and visible upon Roxas' face as well as Mr. Wise's face until the fateful and cataclysmic moment that would change lives forever.

"And that's what happened," Cid nervously lit a cigarette to calm his shaking nerves.

"I can't believe it…I just can't," Cloud was still shaking as he tried to steady his hands as he reached for the glass of brandy.

"I tell you, that's what happened, but what became of Roxas? That's one thing I can't recall," Cid took a drag on the cigarette that dangled from his lips as he started to gain a sense of calm back to his life.


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: I do not own these characters.

Chapter 11:

The two men had a mystery on their hands, but they weren't alone in the mystery; Squall was standing on the fire escape of his small apartment staring out into the vague darkness of the city. His mind was still playing over the scenes and short glimpse he had caught of someone who he had left to be nothing short of a ghost or distant memory in another time other then the present.

"Why was he dressed like that? Was it even him?" Squall asked out to the silent, yet, bustling city sounds of the City.

"Talking to your self, again?" Sora stuck his head out the bathroom window.

"Ha, ha, very funny squirt," Squall started to come back inside as he climbed through the window.

"What were you doing out there?" Sora watched Squall make dinner for them, it was simply a meal meant for two.

He didn't want to get his kid brother's hopes in case the person he saw really wasn't who he thought it was and it would crush the kid to find out it wasn't who he thought it was. Something at the back of his brain was nagging at him to tell Sora who he thought the mobster dressed teen might be and that nagging wasn't due to Sora's whining or even slight shouts of fear.

"Squall, watch what you're doing!" Sora shouted as he looked for a way to extinguish the rising flames off the stove's range top.

"Oh man!" Squall quietly cursed to himself as he finally found a way to extinguish the small kitchen fire.

The discussion about the earlier topic was left forgotten as the two brothers tried to salvage what was left of the less then tasty looking meal in front of them as they gagged down the burnt meal. Family meals tend to bring families together and it was apparent among the Organization XIII family; all its members were assembled and enjoying one another's company, some less than others.

There was talk about what could be done to make sure their sheer force of power and reputation did not die out because it was reaching its moments of questioning about the strength they had.


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: I do not own these characters.

Chapter 12:

"So, do you think its time we made the kid part of the Family?" Saix asked, as he sat in a silent conference with Xemnas.

"I feel it is time, but yet, I see something in him that is starting to make my decision even harder," Xemnas sat back in his chair.

"What is so hard about it? You know that he would be a valuable asset, why not act on it?" Larxene walked up behind him and draped her arms down around his neck.

"Who asked your opinion?" Saix coldly glared at the blonde; she was only part of the Family because she worked as someone that could move about within Enemy camps without being found out.

The blonde's small, playful smile turned into a dark frown as she pulled her hands up off the Boss' chest and started to playfully place them about his neck, "I believe, the Godfather did and unless you want to see his eyes bulge out of his head or his face turn as blue as your hair; you'll do well to mind your manners," Larxene darkly remarked as she started to give the Boss a small squeeze about his neck.

"Wait, I think; that I may have made my choice, now, I'll trust you two to not kill one another once I leave this room?" Xemnas asked; his voice dripping with all seriousness and a tone that said, 'If you plan to kill one another, I'll kill you myself.'

"Yes, sir," both simultaneously remarked as they were left in the room.

"Officer Strife, can I see you in my office?" a man with pulled back, silver hair that went down to not quiet the middle of his back, called the man to his office.

"What's the matter, Captain Setzer?" Cloud took notice to shut the door to the Captain's office behind him.

"It seems, that a number of people have told me that they may have seen your younger brother, Roxas, running with the local Mob Family," Captain Setzer started off, much to the hurtful look on Cloud's face.

Cloud grew silent as he sat down in the chair in front of the Captain's desk, "I see," Cloud seemed unmoved by the words or possible thought of a sighting of his younger brother.

"We, and myself, believe, that with this news, not only could the Force be in trouble, but," Captain Setzer paused as he noticed Cloud looking up at him.

Cloud's face told and said it all, "I understand, but, this doesn't mean he could cause any harm to any of us; I've known my brother all my life, he could never be capable of causing harm to a human life," he got up and left the Captain's office.

"Officer Strife!" Captain Setzer yelled as flung open his door as he caught the final glimpse of the golden hair walking down the final half of the stairway that lead to the street, "_It may be too late for your brother, but not for you."_

Squall heard the commotion as did Cid as they walked up the stairway, brushing against Cloud and up to where the Captain was standing; he was less then happy as he dumped a filing cabinet over on its side. The man was trying to keep his cool, but the water cooler was the next thing that didn't stand a chance as it went crashing to the floor causing a flood of water to rush across the floor.

"Bad day, sir?" Cid sipped his coffee and stepped over the puddles forming on the floor.

"Strife doesn't know what he is about to fall into," Captain Setzer started to calm down.

"What do you mean?" Squall asked; his voice halfway between questionable and worried as he nearly dropped his coffee.

"A few of our men have been staking out a place where we know most of the Organization XIII Family tends to congregate; we've planned to stakeout the location this evening. We will send a man in for the meeting, he'll try and make a deal with them and once he's gave them a briefcase that shall have no money in it, but a note that is to be the signal to move in, once we see it, we'll move in and make arrests," Captain Setzer finished his tantrum.

Squall's face was a contorted look of fear, panic, and worry for not only Cloud, who would have to heart it later and it would surely kill him, but he also worried about Roxas possibly being at the meeting. Cid saw the strange look and it didn't need to be commented on as Captain Setzer continued to explain what was to happen; Squall's mind wandered elsewhere.

"_Roxas, if you are apart of that Family, please, I beg of you, please, don't be at that meeting tonight,"_ Squall thought to himself as he zoned out the rest of the conversation.

_If only his wish could be heard…_


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: I do not own these characters.

Chapter 13:

Roxas was minding the counter of the small Club the Family ran when a young woman with short jet black hair walked in with a friend of hers; her friend long auburn hair was pulled back with a ribbon. The short haired one seemed like she had sampled too many of the local drinks and was a little tipsy to say the least as her friend attempted to keep on her feet.

"So, is Officer Strife ever going to pop the-you-know-what, question?" the tipsy young woman with short black hair asked excitedly.

"Yuffie, you are so quick to ask, but if you must ask, no, he seems to have something on his mind lately," the auburn haired friend as she brushed a stray hair from her face as she answered her tipsy friend.

"Don't worry, Aerith, he'll come around," Yuffie turned to the counter and ordered a martini while Aerith took a glass of water; one of them had to be sober to get them home safely.

Roxas tried not to make conversation with anyone that came in due to fear of various secrets being revealed and leaked, but tonight, something seemed different; it could've been because this young woman with the auburn hair reminded him of someone. Someone like her was supposed to be dating his brother, but, he could never keep track of the young woman's name his brother was always talking about, but the mere mention of the name of the woman in front of him reminded him.

He could feel her eye's staring at him as if she was trying to ask for something.

"May I help you, ma'am?" Roxas asked nervously as he turned to Aerith.

"Huh? No, no, I'm sorry," Aerith lightly chuckled, "You just remind of someone."

"Oh, well, I've been told I have one of those faces," Roxas lightly sighed as the sound of Xaldin calling him turned his attention elsewhere.

"I'm sorry to break up this fun, but we are closed as of now, ladies," Xaldin ushered them out.

Roxas watched Xaldin usher the two girls out as Xaldin turned back to address him, "The Boss wants to see you," he locked the front door and pulled the curtains across the windows.

"Okay," Roxas, without any further directions as he took of the apron and headed to the back room where the Boss was waiting.

Xaldin and a few others began to set the Club up for what seemed to be a secret meeting; one or two men were to be stationed at the door while another was posted behind whoever was to lead the meeting. If anything was to go wrong, there were escape exits all over the Club, but in the air, the sense of foreboding and the feeling that someone was to become the scapegoat for the forthcoming meeting was coming to a head. There was a sense of the Club and even possibly the meeting being watched that had the men on edge.

"Alright, Axel, you and Demyx will be watching the front door, Saix will be beside the Boss," Xaldin paused as he heard a voice behind him.

"That won't be the case," Saix, in a straightforward tone remarked as he seeped out from the shadows of the Club.

"Care to explain that to the rest of the class," Axel sarcastically remarked as he leaned against the bar counter.

"The Boss intends to test the kid to see if he is capable of handling being a part of this Family; he plans to make him the one to be the head of this meeting," Saix soon heard the sound Axel falling onto the floor and then the sound of a shocked 'WHAT!?!' coming from the back room.

Roxas' eyes were wide with shock as he tried to pick himself up off the floor after he had fallen from his chair after hearing the immortal request from the Godfather as he tried to gain his wits back about him.

"Need I repeat myself? I would like you to go in my place for the meeting tonight and I want to test whether or not you are a good candidate for this Family," Xemnas calmly eyed Roxas.

"No, I understand; I'll do it, you can count on me," Roxas straightened up and the deal between the Godfather and Roxas was struck; it was almost as if he had made a pact with the Devil.


	14. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: I do not own these characters.

Chapter 14:

Cloud was sitting at home when an anonymous caller called him, telling him all that was to happen, who was going to be there and what was to be discussed; the conversation was as follows.

"Hello," Cloud answered the phone, his tone was tired after being awoken from his sleep.

"Is this Officer Cloud Strife?" asked the anonymous tipster

"Depends on whose calling"

"Let's just say, someone, who is worried about someone who resembles you."

_Silence hung on Cloud's end_

"Officer Strife?"

"Yes, I'm here."

"Listen closely; come to the corner of Park Avenue and 5th where the club known as Twilight After Dark about Midnight, but do not let anyone know you are there."

He wrote down the details down quickly as if it were a childish secret, "Why are you tell me all this?"

"Let's just say, I have many things to atone for, for not being able to make a better decision, the one that would've gotten me out of the position I'm in now," the anonymous voice started to grow soft as the owner started to hear the meeting about to start, "I need to go…if you want to stop this, get here soon."

The phone of the anonymous caller hung up as the owner of the voice that had been calling for him started to order the others around as the meeting started to get underway.

"Axel, let's get things started," Xaldin saw Xigbar walking Roxas out to where he was to be seated.

"Coming," Axel went over to the side to keep an eye on the meeting and the outside world.

Cloud heard the phone go silent, he didn't know whether or not trust the anonymous tipster's words or to blow it off as just pure lies being fed to him to make him take the bait of a trap. In the back of his mind, he could hear a voice telling him to believe the words and to not wait another moment to go to the Family's club and stop the meeting.

"God, I'm on my knees once again asking for your help or just a little help on what to do…I'm here, use me as you wish," Cloud had a soft sob rising in his throat, "I'm all yours…use me, as you see fit…just…just let me see, Roxas, again."

Sometimes, we have no way of knowing whether or not the Lord hears our cries, many of us give into thinking he doesn't but, in those times he does, we are grateful. Cloud had all but given up hope that Roxas was still alive somewhere out there among the city that had given him up for dead. It didn't take long for Cloud's tearful plea for help to be heard as the sound of a phone ringing brought him back to his senses as he got up to answer it.

"Hello," Cloud said as he gained his senses.

"Cloud, it's Squall," Squall tried to cover up the call from the phone booth he was calling from.

"What's wrong?"

"I don't have a lot of time to talk."

"I understand, but, why are you doing call---"  
"Just listen to me."

"Okay."  
"I didn't want to tell you this, but, it seems the rumor of Roxas running with the Organization XIII family is true."

"Wait, what…I don't under---"

"What's to understand!?! The Captain sent some "friend" of his into the Club the other night and this "friend" told him who was working there. Cloud…if you don't get down here…this meeting could very well end in bloodshed."

"What!?!"

"What I'm trying to get at is…either you say your good byes now, or, you can say them at his funeral."

Cloud nearly dropped the phone out of fear as he hung it up and raced out the door, "Roxas…please don't be there," he jumped into his car and raced to the Club.

"Cloud, Cloud, CLOUD!?!" Squall shouted through the phone as he swore under his breath.

"Lieutenant Leonhart," a voice made Squall turned around as he went to the stake out, "_I hope you made the right decision for once, Cloud."_


	15. Chapter 15

Disclaimer: I do not own these characters.

Chapter 15:

Roxas was nervous as he sat at the table with the fedora pulled over his eyes to hide his identity from the one he was meeting with to give an air of mystery to the moment and to hide the nervousness in his eyes.

"Be cool kid, we don't need this deal going sour," Xaldin lightly squeezed Roxas' shoulder.

"I'm cool, don't worry," Roxas winced at Xaldin's grip on his shoulder.

The Boss was sitting in a leather armchair placed in front of a small fireplace at his home; the fire danced with his amber red eyes as the pale yellow, as yellow as the moonlight walked up alongside the chair.

"Do you think it was the right thing to do; sending the boy in your place to prove his worth to the Family?" Saix kept his eyes fixed upon the fiery flames that danced in the hearth.

"Are you doubting my abilities?" Xemnas asked in a straightforward tone; his eyes only slightly drifting towards Saix's general direction.

"No," Saix sternly remarked as he noticed that Xemnas' eyes were staring at him with piercing precision.

"Good and I believe that the boy will excel; I expect no problems," Xemnas lifted a glass of brandy to his lips; he took only a small swig before throwing the glass into the hearth, "We can't afford to have problems when we are this close.

Squall fidgeted in the place he sat watching the meeting progress; he wanted to be like a fly on the wall, watching and listening to the conversation in hopes of finding an escape route for Roxas if it came to the problem of that.

"Cloud, wherever you are, get here soon," Squall mouthed to himself as the small peeking of a curtain blinds open and closing as it had been doing off and on, "Get here soon unless you want to see your brother behind bars or even on the hangman's noose."

Twilight Chapel was silent expect for the soft prayers of the faithful, nightly incenses being burnt about incense burners that swung back and forth on a chain as a small band of men swung them. The head of the Church was leading the men behind him in a Latin prayer of Protection for all, no matter where they were so that the Lord may always be with them. All visitors to the Church had long gone home, expect for a young brunette woman who stood at the back of the Church with a look of worry on her young face.

"My dear, I'm afraid I must tell you th---"Father Yen Sid began to speak as he became silent as his eyes fell upon the woman's drawn down and worried face, "My child, why do you wear such a face?"

"Father Yen Sid, I fear that something is going to happen this evening," the young woman said; trying not to alarm him.

"What do you mean, Aerith?" Father Yen Sid sat beside her on the pew.

"Where do I start?" Aerith began to tell him about her worries and the fears that were plaguing her mind as of lately.

The pieces of the puzzle were coming together and the pawns of this chess game were starting to fall into place; it would be only a matter of time before this game came to a close and those involved were to fall.

"So, what do you have to offer us this evening? Because before we start, I would like to know our conditions," Roxas pulled the fedora down over his eyes to hide the fear in his eyes.

"Does ten thousand dollars and the lean to Twilight Jazz Club sound like a fair deal?" the dealer slid a manila folder that held the lease and then slid the briefcase of money across the table.

Roxas took the folder and didn't even open it , that Club had once been the one place he could escape to, to escape the outside World and the life he lived just to be different from the tragedy of all he lived through. His eyes began to become misty as he wiped as his eyes and got back to business.

"That, that sounds like a reasonable offer," Roxas handed the folder to Xaldin and proceeded to move his hands to the briefcase.

"Why don't you open the briefcase and make sure that all the money is there?" the dealer's body language began to change.

Roxas looked to Xaldin and Xigbar for a suggestion and while he did; he never noticed that Axel had changed places as the sound of someone crashing about in the back room seemed to change the mood of the moment.

"Come on, seal the deal," Captain Setzer watched the scene unfold through binoculars.

Far away from the others, Cloud parked his car without thought as he gathered his thoughts and prepared to break into the club, "God, if you're there, please watch over me as I go in to this place to hopefully find my brother and bring him home," Cloud whispered the prayer as he made his way through the back of the kitchen of the Club, with some slight problems now and again.


	16. Chapter 16

Disclaimer: I do not own these characters.

Chapter 16:

Back at the chapel, Aerith and Father Yen Sid had finished talking about the problems on her mind as they sat in silence of the now quiet chapel; she had since finished telling all that was on her mind. Utter silence hung between them.

"I'm lost on what to do to help him," Aerith lightly wrung her hands.

"All we can do my child," Father Yen Said took her hands in his and lead her up to towards the front of the chapel, "…is to place it in God's hands and pray about it."

"I understand," Aerith's eyes connected with that of the stained glass window pane of the Lord staring down on her as to tell her that He would help her in her hour of need.

"Let us begin," Father Yen Sid began the prayer.

_Dear Lord_

Tension was rising all around, inside the Club, at Xemnas' home, outside the Club, and those watching the club, all the players in the Game were growing anxious and wouldn't be long before the Game was over.

_I pray this favor that you may grant it for me_

"Time for the moment of truth about the actual amount in this briefcase," Roxas danced his fingers about the locks of the briefcase.

The Dealer was watching like a child watching a new toy being unwrapped a birthday party as the excitement level began to rose as his eyes shifted now and again to the door as in hopes that the signal would appear and this could all end.

_Please protect the loved ones close to me…let no harm come to them…_

"Men, prepare to charge into the club," Captain Setzer heard the men preparing for the charge.

Squall watched in pure fright as he knew that he was about to charge in after the brother of his only closest friend and take him down if that became the case; it was too much for him as he gripped his gun tightly to rid himself of the fear.

_Lord, I ask this as I beseech your Holy name and ask that you send angels to guard them_

"_Cloud, its due or die time, please don't let it be die,"_ Squall raced to the building to surround it before the final charge to be lead into the Club as the briefcase could be seen slowly inching open.

_In your most Holy name, I thank you_

"Take a breath, count to three and just do…"Cloud inched the door open to peek in on the meeting as Roxas unbuckled the locks and slowly opened the case, "ROXAS!"

_Amen…_


	17. Chapter 17

Disclaimer: I do not own these characters.

Chapter 17:

The moments that followed and happened, occurred in nothing short of 15 seconds; shots rang out through the sounds of guns and pistols being cocked and aimed at those in the room. The sound of a bullet ripping through flesh and a terrified scream was heard coming from Roxas as he was left to fend for himself as the others scurried from the Club. The other members had scattered into the dark, Axel only looked back once more; he had the guilt to go back, but he couldn't.

Cops rushed in to make arrests as Cloud was pushed back; his heart sank as he saw the tan Fedora fall from the young teen that the cops had in custody. The blonde spiked hair seal all his worst fears as the young man's face flashed across Cloud's line of vision.

"_No, it can't be," _Cloud, in his mind, tried to reach out to the boy and hold him close to his chest.

"Come on buddy, let's go, you have a date with a Police Station," one of the cops as he yanked Roxas up by the sore arm.

Roxas tried to cry out in pain, but he didn't want to give them the pleasure of the moment as his eyes rose up and the moment his eyes met with the frightened and worried eyes of Cloud; his eyes seem to plead with Roxas'. Cloud was ushered out to where the Captain was waiting and watching the moment unfold, but it was ruined by a slight inch as he saw Cloud being ushered out to him.

Axel watched from a darkened alleyway as Roxas was flung into the back of a police van and driven off through the darkened streets of New York.

"Sorry little man, but that's how it all comes out in the end," Axel watched Cloud getting into a verbal fight; he couldn't hear a word of what was being spoken.

Words flew between the Captain and Cloud as Cloud tried to explain why he had been at the stakeout and trying to find out where Roxas has been taken to, but the Captain was against it as he started to lose his cool. Squall pulled Cloud away from the Captain before he killed the Captain.

"He's not worth it! HE'S NOT WORTH IT!" Squall shouted as he threw Cloud against the wall, "I know you're upset about finding Roxas like this, but trying to kill the Captain won't help him."

"You make it sound so simple that it's almost like it didn't happen," Cloud's voice sounded as if he was near tears, "I finally found him and its at the most worst possible time."

"Listen, as far as I know, he'll be taken to Mercy Hospital and then after they've patched him up; they'll probably take him to the Precinct," Squall tried to soften the emotional blow.

Cloud listened, but he wasn't the only one as Axel listened to the conversation as the two men parted; Cloud stayed in the same place as where Squall had placed him against the wall. Axel began to take his leave, but it seemed that Cloud knew he was there as his eyes watched the mystery figure leaving through the shadows towards Mercy Hospital. He followed him as he gripped the man's arm tightly and tossed him into the wall as his voice grated out with a tone of bitter hatred and anger, his blood was still boiling from earlier.

"Talk quickly and do it fast or else you'll be finding yourself facing more trouble then just a prison cell," Cloud said through clenched teeth as he slammed Axel into the wall.

"Whoa!" Axel shouted until he felt Cloud's hands clamp down over his mouth as the sound of someone passing by them startled him, and once it passed, he removed his hand away.

"Listen here you; you were in there for that meeting, why didn't you help him?" Cloud asked angrily; his voice rising only slightly.

"Who are you talking about?" Axel asked softly, slightly above a whisper; confused about what Cloud was talking about.

"You know full well who I mean!" Cloud's voice raised to almost a tone of screaming, "My brother…Roxas, the one you guys used as your scapegoat for your escape."

Axel became quiet as his eyes went wide with realization that he could see the resemblance; he saw the hate, anger, hurt, and pain in Cloud's eyes as he moved his eyes back up to face Cloud, " I'm sorry for what happened, but…there is something you don't know; your brother reminds me of myself at his age. There is so much of my life that I've seen playing through him, he's a really neat kid, your brother," Axel shook his head as he placed a hand on Cloud's shoulder, "I'd hate to see that kid get hurt…don't give up on him yet."

Axel took his leave into the shadows as light tears started to dance down his face; Cloud took his time to himself as he tried to clear his head before he opened his car door, started up the car and made his way towards the hospital, "Roxas, you have some questions to answer…I hope you have the answers," Cloud drove down the streets and then pulled into the parking lot of the busy hospital.


	18. Chapter 18

Disclaimer: I do not own these characters.

Chapter 18:

Cop cars were lining the parking lot and they were lining the hallway where Roxas was staying for being treated, no one was going to get into the room without a justified reason for being in the room. Even the Doctor and Nurses had to be questioned before entering the room; the hospital was a buzz as the police stood guard at the exam room door as the Doctor questioned Roxas, but Roxas unwilling to look the Doctor or Nurse in the eye or even answer the questions.

"Well, I see that you are unwilling to talk to us, would you rather speak to one of the officers outside?" the Doctor closed the clipboard and made the final note as he handed it off to the Nurse, "The best we can do for that wound is with minor surgery; I'll be performing the procedure here in the room, it doesn't require to much surgery and you'll hardly see the scar."

"It'll be alright," the Nurse brushed a stray hair from Roxas' face at which he flinched as he jerked his head away as a look of pain crossed his face.

The Doctor's eyes drifted to her as he motioned for her outside as they continued to converse in hushed tones in the hallway, directly outside Roxas' room, "Don't pity him, he's part of the Mob and those men are the lowest of the low," the Doctor motioned for her to follow him to the suture room where he gathered up his items and headed back to the room.

"How could you be so cold to the boy? He must have a reason for running with them like he did…he's only a child," the Nurse opened the door and the Doctor walked to the bedside.

"Whatever the reason, that doesn't mean we have to show pity to criminals," liquid was drawn out of a small bottle as the syringe filled up with the equal amount of local anesthetic as he sterilized the area for the injection and the area where he would make in the incision, "This might sting a little, but, it'll put you under for a time in order for me to remove the bullet."

The Doctor's words became hazed and blurry to Roxas' ears as his eyes softly closed and he was at peace for the moment as he never once felt the cold scalpel cut into his hot, searing flesh that was scarred and burnt from the impact of the speeding demon of destruction.

His mind could feel and hear the scalpel scraping against, muscle, tendon and ligament, then bone as the Doctor found the bullet; it hadn't dug itself in too deeply to cause major problems. Cold metal was placed back into the open wound again as a pair of twin metal brushed against the hot muscle and torn tendons as it came in contact with the bullet and pulled out.

Something that was skinny and metal seemed to fish its way through muscle and the layers of skin as a wiry string seemed to fish along the path that the metal was fishing through. There was a tugging as the fishing stopped as the sting of another needle in his arm was felt to ease off the pain of the sutures as Roxas started to ease out of the local.

"You'll feel a slight pain in shoulder for awhile, but it should pass," the Doctor bandaged the arm and left; he walked out to the sound of Captain Setzer berating the men and giving orders left and right.

"I want at least two men posted at his door and at least four in the hall," Captain Setzer told his men his plans as his gaze wondered up to the Doctor, "No visitors unless I specific."

Squall stood outside the Hospital smoking away with Cid, "I had a feeling that kid was tied up with them; I could've done something," Squall blew out a puff of smoke in a huff.

"There is nothing anyone of us could've done, anything we could've done would've gotten us into hot water with the Captain, for now, its up to Cloud and the kid; its up to their own will power to pull through this mess," Cid's eyes fell on a blond haired man walking up, "Speak of the devil."


	19. Chapter 19

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, they belong to Square Enix/Disney and Tetsuya Nomura.

AN: falls on face in apology I'm SOOOO Sorry for not update sooner, I know its been a long time since I've updated this and given you guys any more chapters, things have come up here and there, school, home life, and social life got nuts and being that I live at home makes it hard to do this and get it up w/o a Parental figure over my shoulder about whether or not I'm doing school work or studying when I'm working on this...So, yeah. Sorry again for not updating sooner, but I recently got a chance to do just that, the chapters you'll get on here at the moment are also up on my DeviantART and until the Semester is over, passed the NREMT (National Registry EMT Exam) and gotten a job and the job gives me free time, I'll be writing up the finishing chapters of this and the other HALF FINISHED fanfics on here ;

For those of you who've been sticking through with this to wait for more of this update and the same for Wolves Mate For Life, Dear Journal and the other half a dozen ones I've gotten posted on here that are half finished, thank you guys for waiting, and you'll have to wait just as long again...; But thanks for your patience.

Chapter 19

Xemnas' townhouse silence was abruptly interrupted by the sound o heavy poundings against the oak door of the town house as the looming Lexacaus answered it to the sight of an angered Xigbar with a sullen toned Xaldin following close behind. Neither man was about to be the first speak as Xigbar pushed past the built like an oak doorman; Lexacaus' words become distant in his ears as he hurried to the Boss' quarters.

"Boss, you've got visitors," Lexacaus muttered as he shut the door as Zexion watched the mess from the stairway much like watching Mommy and Daddy fighting yet again, but his face was a look of interest of how this would play out.

Zexion followed the crowd with his eyes as he softly read from the book in his hands, "Hell has opened up on Earth and its bringers are those charging into the den of Evil's own owner, how shall Evil itself answer to these dogs howling at his door? Shall they be greeted warmly by his presence or shall Hell on Earth become the dawn upon this Earth?"

Sounds of the men talking with the Boss was heard bellowing from the library, Xigbar's screaming rants were the only thing heard among the various and thrown in for emphasis strings of profanity. Everyone knew that when Xigbar got upset, a string of profanity was due to come with his simple conversations to vent his frustrations and all Xemnas could do was to allow the man to vent. A blonde haired vixen slipped down from the shadows as a velvet red colored flapper dress danced with her every step as she came up alongside the reading Zexion.

"As poetic as those words may be it won't help to ease or soften the blow," her fingers danced around the binding of the book as she listened with much interest to the war of words.

Xigbar wasn't in a mood for such poetic words had he been able to hear the words as he stood in the Boss' library watching the man bemuse over the man's rants as his fingers softly drawled against the arm of the armchair. Saix watched within a close distance of the man's demeanor as well as keep an eye on Xigbar's posturing and movements toward the Boss; his fingers curled around a pistol under his coat in case the man decided to become violent.

"Good evening, Xigbar," Saix smugly remarked as he watched the Boss swish about a glass of wine in his other hand that wasn't drumming against the armchair.

"Shut up Saix!" Xigbar coldly snapped as if ready to pull out his pistol, "Boss, we've got a problem."

Xemnas stared at the fire roaring in the fireplace before him, " I know we do, but don't worry," the wine swished about in the glass as he took a slow sip at it before tossing it into the fireplace, causing sparks to erupt nearly setting fire to the rug before him, "…all be handled."

The two men that had been with Roxas during the operation were confused, "How can you be so calm sir?" Xaldin was confused as he approached the man's side, cautiously.

"I planned all that happened to happen like it did; the kid would take the fall and would be taken in on my behalf," the man began to move out of the chair, "and to make sure he doesn't reveal any deep secrets to the cops, I placed Vexen in the hospital as a spy."

The other three from the hall came into the room to join the others, "What if the kid does tell the cops about us what then?" Zexion kept his gaze fixed on the back of the Boss' head, but his mind's eye was fixed on something else.

"If he does, and he returns to us, we will act as if nothing has changed and when the time is right," Xemnas answered as he paused, cocking the hammer back on his concealed pistol, aimed, and shot at something in the shadows, "the problem will be handled without incident."

Axel flinched before the shot hit what he believed may have been him; he knew the Boss had to have a few screws loss, but it seemed that his suspicions were being to surface; that shot at been meant for him, but something saved him.

"I've got to warn the kid," Axel slipped out of the house and to the local Jazz Club, still standing regardless of lack attendance of its regulars since the word had spread about its owner's untimely death.

Twilight Jazz Club was managing to stand on its feet even though the Club had seen some small hard times even when word had spread that its previous owner had been in cahoots with the local Mob family. Many had decided to keep their distance in fear of finding themselves caught up in a possible failed Mob meeting or dealing that might go down when no one knew when. Demyx had been still attending the Club, but the Master of Ceremonies, Luxord, had started to opt to not put as much interest and enthusiasm for presenting him. The Jazz player was attempting to keep up beats and make the place sing again, but hard times were killing the old jazz man as they would say.

"_These old times have got me down, what can I do to blow those old blues clouds away?"_ Demyx's words sang out over the quieted jazz club, the half hearted, partially drunk patrons didn't give a damn anymore, thinking it was more of a rhetorical question.

Axel saw the man plucking away at his old guitar as he shuffled his feet up towards the stage, "Still trying to make this old place sing, old jazz man?" his face cracked into a smug smile as he flicked a cardboard coin into the man's open case guitar case.

"What do you want Axel?" Demyx was less then thrilled to the see the man's smug grinning Cheshire cat like face as he set his pencil down on the sheet music he had been writing on.

"I need some help…it's for a friend."

Cloud walked past his friends without speaking to them as he walked up to the Nurse's station to find Roxas, but it wasn't going to be that simple with the well known fact that Captain Setzer had all but the boy down on terminal lockdown. It was going to be harder to break into his room or see the boy then Buckingham Palace or even the President's Presidential Bedroom. It wasn't a friendly, 'Hi, how have you been?' as the Captain came upon Cloud, their conversation was anything but friendly as the Nurse's would later admit to.

"I'm sorry sir, but Captain Setzer has ordered that no one is to enter the young man's room," the Nurse was attempting to be patient with the angered blond as she saw the Captain coming up behind the man.

"I understand that, but, I'm the only one that can get through to him," Cloud was trying to sound rational and not like he was ready to lunge over the Nurse's station after the woman.

The Nurse was running out of patience as she saw Captain Setzer right behind the man as she tried to maintain control, but she started to become a puddle of pudding at the man's sly charms as he placed a hand on Cloud's shoulder.

"It's alright Miss, I'll vouch for him," Captain Setzer flashed her a smile that made her becoming a giggling mess.

She could only giggle uncontrollably, "Yes sir."

Captain Setzer walked Cloud down the hall towards Roxas' room, "You sure have a lot of guts coming here, you know that?" the Captain was less then thrilled at the man's appearance when he was trying his hardest to keep the man out of the picture.

"Like I honestly care, that's my brother in there and I want to see him," Cloud was trying to be courteous to his Commanding Officer, but the idea of his own blood so close and yet so far away was killing him, "What are you stopping me from seeing him? I'm probably the only one who can get through to him and get what you've wanted to get your paws on for months. Don't think I don't know your reasons for sending Leonhard and Highwind undercover to that Club."

Captain Setzer gave a soft grunting huff as he ran a through his hair, "You sure are a sharp one, Strife, that's the only reason why I haven't let you off this case, besides," he brought an arm around the man's shoulder as he walked him further down the hall, "The only other reason I'm not letting you go in there is because I'm afraid you will let your connection, or even _brotherly _love feelings for your brother botch your judgment and I just can't have that."

Cloud was trying to keep his cool even if under his cool exterior he was seething with rage to just throttle the man, "Let me talk to him, if you send someone else in there he's liable to clam up," it was at least an attempt to get his foot in the door.

The Captain softly sighed," If you think you can crack him, no one else has been able to yet," he opened the door slightly, but he kept a hand on the man's shoulder, lightly, "Don't get all emotional over it, if I hear you breaking, I'm coming in and dragging you out of there."

Cloud took the Captain's warning as he slowly opened the door and saw Roxas asleep; it nearly broke his heart as he moved to sit as his bedside, his hand softly shaking him awake.

"Hmmm…huh, oh, so they one of you guys again, huh? Well, I'm not saying anythi--Cloud?" Roxas was drowsy and disoriented, but was able to make out sentences as he saw who was staring at him.

"Glad to see you're going to live little brother," Cloud pulled the note he had managed to get a hold from the set up briefcase, "I thought you were dead that night they found Ansem dead at the Club."

Roxas eyed the note as he read it, "Hmph, glad to see you still have some sense of humor," a soft sigh left his lips as he closed his eyes, "Well, the joke is on them, or I guess…me."

Cloud watched over Roxas they talked about what had happened two years ago and all that he knew about the inner workings of the Family; he had to know all the details so that if and when the case went to trial, they would be able to get the family on the crimes they had committed in the past up till now. There were times when Roxas should've remained quiet, but Cloud's words and actions spoke louder then the fear pooling in Roxas' stomach. All the secrets that he knew; he was revealing them in a short time to his brother, who was without a doubt a cop and it didn't seem to advert Cloud's questions.

"And that's about all I know," Roxas let out a breath as he finished telling his brother all the details of what he knew about the Family.

"You know, it took a lot of guts to tell me what you know, you know that?" Cloud closed his notepad as he took down the last note and pocked it, "And you also risked your life."

Roxas knew what he was doing and understood the consequences as he looked up, glaring at his brother, "Don't you think I know that? I suggest you get out of her with that information and forget you knew me," his gaze turned away from Cloud; he didn't want to look his brother in the eye if it meant that he would end up losing his brother for giving him the information he knew.

"What do you mean?"

Roxas glanced to the door, fearing the Doctor from before coming back in; he had sick feeling it had been one of the Family Bosses men on the inside to make sure that Roxas didn't spill his guts to the cops. They had connections and ways of making sure that they had men in on the inside to assure that if any of their own was to get hurt and end up in the Hospital under Police surveillance didn't sell them out.

"…You can't be here anymore."

"But Roxas…"

"Just. Just do it for me, please…"

Cloud saw the worry in his brother's eyes, "Okay, but…don't think that I'm going to let this go unknown, " just as Cloud prepared to stand up and leave, the blonde haired Doctor from before walked in and it only worked to send a shockwave down Cloud's spine, but it was seen more clearly in Roxas' face.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I wasn't aware that the patient was still being questioned by one of our local Police officer," a soft, caring smile was on his face, but Roxas saw what it really was, a cold, callous one that told him, 'If you squealed, I'll make sure the Boss knows about it.'

Cloud shifted upwards and headed for the door, "I was just leaving, my time here with him is over anyways; I'll just get out of your way, Doctor," as he got up to leave; he saw the look of utter fear in his brother's eyes, even if he didn't clearly show it, but it was there, he could see it.

The Doctor examined Roxas over once Cloud had left the room, but as he leaned into check on the job that had been done on the boy's shoulder; he made sure to coldly whisper into the boy's ear, "If you told him ANYTHING of what the Family is up to…I'll make sure that you leave here not only with your arm in a sling, but something else will be broken as well."

Roxas didn't dare argue with the man, just simply smile and nod, that was all he could do and it worked to leave a soft, caring, charismatic smile on his face that was plastered there even as he left the room. This was not a good sign. At best, he was a dead man walking and his brother and the rest of the Police force were sitting ducks just waiting to be taken out by an unsuspecting stray bullet from one of the Members of the Family. Once you were in the Family, there was no use trying to get out, the only way out was either a natural death or finding yourself dead by the hands of your enemies or even one of your own.


	20. Chapter 20

Disclaimer: All characters belong to Square Enix/Disney and Tetsuya Nomura.

Chapter 20

"So, what's the trouble that this friend of yours is in, Axel?" Demyx decided to listen to what Axel had to say, but only as he packed up his instrument as the other band members of the small band started to leave for the night.

Axel sat on the edge of the stage as he began his conversation, "It seems he got caught up in something that got him busted for taking the place of the one who should've been in his place," he was trying to explain his "problem" without making it obvious of whom it he was talking about.

Demyx raised a brow as he clicked the locks shut on the instrument case, "If you're looking for help or sympathy in regards to the kid, then forget about it, not happening…"

"Come on Demyx! I've saved your hide numerous times before when I should've left you for dead as per the Boss' instructions in the case of a man down in the line of duty!"

Footsteps stopped inches from the doorway of the Club as he turned around, a look of 'I know you're going to say, so just say it,' but that wasn't the case with Axel; he had too much interest in the kid, not a case of love interest, just an interest in making sure the kid didn't fall down the same path he had fallen down at his age. Axel looked at the back of his friend's head with a look of anger, and spiteful hatred if the man was to think not even twice about it.

"You know its true…"

Demyx knew better then to get into a war of words with the fiery redhead, too many had he had been on the bad receiving end of that war or even fight at best and this time; he was about to walk out and not saying anything, but there was something nagging at him. His conscience, was it that? That stupid little nagging voice that he had managed to shut up with liquor and other things that would've shut it up years ago, no, it was just a tiny shred of human decency left in him from being apart of the family for so long. Or so it was for a fleeting moment until he took the final step out the doors that left Axel with his answer.

"I'm sorry Axel, but…you just don't turn your back on the Family."

The days following the bust at the small family Club had become a slight blur of events for those that had been involved in on it as well as the only thing still left on their lips, especially on the Boss' lips; he was continuously thinking about the boy he had left to take the fall for him. Roxas had been kept in the hospital for as long as it was needed until Captain Setzer had determined that the boy was free to go under the watchful eye and guardianship of his older brother, Detective Strife, but only after spending a momentary stay over in the prison because it didn't seem that the right boy didn't serve at least a limited prison sentence for his crimes, and then after that, he had been released to his brother. Upon his release, he was given an Immunity that would be helpful upon the trial to put his former Boss and the rest of the family in Prison without putting his life at stake, but under the condition that he would help them bring the Family in, upon which he humbly agreed upon.

The day he was released, the only there to meet him was his brother, "Well, you're a free man for once in two years," Captain Setzer's voice sounded more sarcastic then cheerful for the boy as he walked the boy to Cloud's car.

"As if it couldn't get here any sooner…?" Roxas was not in the mood for small talk with a man that had given him no end of grief during his stay in the Prison after being released from the Hospital.

Cloud walked around the car to open the car to let his brother in, it had been too long since he had seen him or had done that for his brother; before all of this, he would have just relied on Roxas to help himself to get into the car, "Shooting off the mouth already, even after you were just released? That doesn't sound like any brother of mine," the older sibling had his own way of joking about the situation.

"Hey kid," Captain Setzer called out to Roxas as the teen poked his head out the passenger side window; "be grateful you have someone like your brother to be there for you when you get out…not many your age that end up in here are that lucky."

What did it matter to Roxas what the Captain said, he wasn't one of those kids; it was a fact, but what he did care about other kids his age? He had all but been desensitized to the feeling of feeling compassion for others since being in with the Family; he had learned early on that you didn't give another human life another glance or ounce of sympathy, if they were going to die; it was their own damn fault. The car ride home was deadly silent between the two brothers as Roxas just watched the scenery pass by him as he watched it out through the passenger window. Hoping with any hope that Cloud wouldn't want to talk, but that hope didn't last too long, it didn't last as long as the length of the driveway they were now pulling into; it had been familiar at one time, but right now it didn't click with Roxas' mind.

"Why are we here?" Roxas asked as he looked around and saw Cloud unlocking the doors of the car with his fingers, moving out of the Driver's seat without another word.

Cloud turned back to Roxas for a moment, "What do you think?" it still wasn't clicking with the boy; he had been gone for clear on two years, home as it may have well been was back at the huge Manor with the Family, not at this small country home, "_This _is your home."

A short stature brunet bobbed away from the window as he saw the first sight of the blond haired teen as he turned towards a man that had the same messy mop of brunet hair on his hair, "Hey Squall, do you think Roxas will remember me?"

"Who knows, Sora, we've just got to wait and see," Squall ruffled his younger brother's hair, but it stopped midway as they heard the sound of the door opening, "Here he comes, Sora."

At first, Roxas was hesitant about the surroundings, but after a little while, it all came back to him as a small, soft smile crept onto his face and it had stayed that way after he had started to remember the mop headed brunet teen that had reminded him that he was Roxas' childhood friend. Both boys spent a good portion of the night reminiscing in a way that you would have done with an amnesia patient to help them remember everything about who they use to be before an accident. They had bonded and remembered one another up until the time dinner had been called on and that smile had never left Roxas' face, not even one second. Oh but if they only knew what a false mask it was.

"I'm going to bed," Roxas let the others know as he pushed away from the table and went off to bed; his bed that had been left as it had been the day he had disappeared over two years ago.

Cloud played with what was left of the leftover apple pie on his plate in front of him as the vanilla ice cream that had been sitting on it since the start had started to work its way down into the crevices and broken parts of the flaky crusted pie slice; "He's changed, hasn't he, Squall?"

"One would have to be blind to not see it," Squall remarked as he went over and scooped up his sleeping brother, "Give him time, he'll come around."

"I want to, but, I don't think the Roxas that I knew back then is even there anymore or even here anymore…its as if I'm looking into the eyes of an adult in a young teen's body."

Roxas couldn't fall asleep on the old bed, no matter how many positions he flopped and twisted into; he simply lied there with his eyes open as he listened to his brother and his friend continue to talk about him; he couldn't sleep knowing he could be putting his family and friends in danger. He made the decision that sleep wasn't what he wanted or needed at the moment as he got up and started to write a letter that would be an almost final goodbye, should he not come back from what he was about to do. He was going to go and speak to the Boss of the Family about trying to get out of the Family and if it didn't seem like he'd make home alive aside from coming home in a wooden box or at the bottom of the sea. A fond farewell that it was which would later be found pinned to his bed pillow as he took to leaving out the bedroom window, not a single word uttered to anyone, just a solitary slip out into the night to change what he had done.

_Dear Brother,_

_I am sorry to have leave like this, but my reason for doing what I'm doing is only to protect you and those close to me, especially you. I could never forgive myself if any harm were to come to those close to me…especially you, because I know how Aerith has a thing for you. She may not have told you yet, but she does have a mild crush on you…you should treat her right, brother; she may become the next Mrs. Strife. When the time arrives, I will return home…_

_I'm sorry, but this is something I must do…_

_Sorry,_

_Roxas_


	21. Chapter 21

Disclaimer: I don't own these characters, they belong to Square Enix/Disney and Tetsuya Nomura.

Chapter 21

Squall had left had once Cloud had made the discovery of the note on Roxas' pillow and the typical, stereotypical knotted bed sheets rope dangling out the window which had lead into the alleyway between their house and the neighbor's house. Cloud had asked him to leave in case it came to a point that Roxas may have run off somewhere and there was a chance that he might run to Squall's house as a form of protection and security because returning home was not going to be the thing on Roxas' mind because he knew his brother was going to be on a warpath if he did return.

"…Roxas," Cloud softly sighed as he read the note, crumpling it into a ball before storming downstairs to ring up Squall.

"Hello?" Squall answered groggily; he had been sound asleep when the phone ring and had fallen asleep the minute he had gotten home.

"Squall, its Cloud."

"What's wrong?"

"It's Roxas…"

"Now what's wrong?"

"He's gone."

"What do you mean 'he's gone'?"

"It's just like I said, 'HE'S gone'!"

"Calm down, he couldn't have gotten far…"

Squall started to get out of bed, pulling on his shirt and pants as well as pair of shoes, knowing Cloud, the next words would be for him to come over and help him go out and look for the boy. But that wasn't what Cloud told him next as the man went on with the conversation.

"Do you think…do you think he went to _that _place?"

Squall ran a hand down his face, "I couldn't put it past him, but he probably has his reasons."

Silence came over the receiver on Cloud's side…

"Cloud?"

"I'm here…"

"I suggest you not worry about him, I'm sure he'll make the right decision and come home…"

"I hope you're right…"

"Don't worry about him."

A voice could be heard in the background on Cloud's end as he heard what could've only been the sound of Squall turning around to look at the sight in his bedroom doorway, "Squall, what's wrong?"

The man turned to address the visitor, "Its nothing, Sora, just go back to bed," the boy seemed to take and heed the words as Squall returned to the call with a defeated sigh, "I'll call you back."

"I'll call you with any new news…"

"Good night, Cloud…"

"Night."

The became silent once more and it would remain that way for many days until something could come along to change that silence, but would it bring the news he wanted to hear or would it bring news that he did not want or needed to hear? As it was, only time would and could tell him that answer, no one had a simple answer for the questions on Cloud's mind. Only Roxas knew the answers.

The Organization XIII Family had gathered together in the Main Room of the Boss' home as Xemnas sat in the Drawing Room, reading an old literature book to keep him self busy; the others were around, but not too far away to be at the beck and call of the man should anything come up.

"Sir, it seems we have a Visitor at the front door," Lexacaus solemnly remarked to the man as he stuck his head into the Study.

A soft, dark smile crossed Xemnas' face as if he knew who the Visitor was, "Thank you, show the Guest in if you would please," the man softly closed the book in his hands closed as the doors shut, "…It seems the scapegoat I put in place has returned for the slaughter…"

Zexion was seated in the Living Room reading, "Hamlet"; it seemed to symbolize the Mob Family in a way minus the backstabbing to kill young Hamlet with the tragic end of Ophelia, Hamlet's Uncle, and Mother as well as young Hamlet at the end of the dramatic and macabre tale. Luxord and Demyx were playing cards while Larxene and Marluxia watched their game to see if Demyx would ever catch on that anytime he played against the Card Shark, Luxord, that the men was well known, well versed and a well played player at the game of Cards due to he liked to cheat. Xigbar and Xaldin kept watch at the doors as Saix appeared in the Drawing Room through a secret passage, to be at the Boss side in secret should the man need his assistance.

"The boy has returned?" Saix appeared at the man's side, a slight sound of a happy growl in his throat, almost guttural and filled with a blood lust in it in the way it wavered out of his voice.

Xemnas glanced up at the man, "Yes, he did manage to take the fall for all that happened back at the Club that night, but we need to make sure we can trust him to not have told the police all we've done and plan to do still," his voice was a mix of anger and hatred for the boy, but that had to remain hidden as the boy was escorted into the room, "Time to see if he' still worth keeping alive."

The door opened to reveal the blond teen with a smug look on his face, "Hello Boss, I'm back home," he respectfully removed his fedora, bending at the waist; it would be about the last time the boy would ever have to bow for any man.

The final curtain was preparing to fall for Roxas as he walked in and heard the door shut behind, the same was being done as what may have been the last time for the Twilight Jazz club; it was closing its doors one last time.

Luxord ascended to the Microphone for what may be the last time to introduce the Jazz band, "Ladies and gentlemen, I welcome you to what may be the last night for this hopping Jazz Club. So, I ask that you make this possibly last night the most craziest and loudest night this club has ever seen and the biggest racket the neighbor's have ever heard," the sound of a horn blowing started the band up into a lively chorus of sounds as the crowd roared into cheers and laughter, especially towards the last remark.

The Club gradually grew louder and louder as the music grew in sound, tempo, and speed; no one cared for the sweat beading on their brows, the sounds of the band, the sight of flappers dresses flapping with their beads into a variety of color and sight with the way the light hit the beads. It all danced in a flurry of sight, sound and lights; the same could've been said for the speed of the meeting between Xemnas and Roxas residing in the Drawing Room.

"Sorry to hear about your misfortune with the cops, kid," Xemnas calmly said as his eyes motioned for Saix to leave the room so that the two men could talk alone without interruption or witnesses at it may have been and would turn into.

Roxas watched the movements about him; he had been with the Family long enough to know to never let your guard down, "I guess you planned it that way, why?" the boy's voice was dripping with sarcasm, but his eyes were ever watching Saix's every move.

"Hmph, not only are you smart and bright, you also have a smart mouth and wit that may end up getting you to the top or…" Xemnas paused as he now stood in front of Roxas; his amber eyes glowing with anger, "get you killed."

Upon those fateful words, the Jazz Club's music struck up to a high fevered pitch as the music and dancers grew faster and louder as the band raced in pitch and tempo to create an even more lively tune that filled the Club and the dancer's ears, just filling them with the needed energy to keep up the speed and pace. A lively tune was playing as the band disregarded the numbing pain dancing through their fingertips or the blisters forming. The flappers sequences were nearly flying with the dresses as the boa feathers on the headdress bands about their heads seemed to resemble withering flowers.

"Keep it going boys! This'll be a night to remember!" Demyx shouted over the din as his hair started to become plastered to his head from the sweat that had beaded on his head from the heat forming in the confined Club.

Back at the Manor, those of the Family that had been sitting in the Living Room had tired of their previous activities as a small radio turned on a soft but upbeat tune in which the Members started to pair and begin to slow dance as well as softly sing along with the tune. Larxene had asked to join Marluxia upon the small dance floor to dance along with the tune as the others continued to softly sing along with the lively tune; the music, their singing and the sounds of the footsteps against the floor were helping to silence out the sounds between the Boss and Roxas in the Drawing Room.

"Why are you doing this?" Roxas gurgled out through the tightening, boa constrictor like grip on his throat.

Xemnas slammed the teen into a wall as he continued to throttle the teen as his hands wrapped tighter and tighter about the boy's throat, "I have reason to doubt your loyalties to this Family, you had plenty of time to tell the cops all you know about is and all we do!" his anger grew to a fevered pitch as he snarled out the words through gritted teeth as he watched and reveled in the way Roxas' face turned blue.

Roxas could feel his body and his eyes getting heavy as he started to feel light headed due to the lack of oxygen to his brain that was in long stretches of time being deprived from him by the man's squeeze on his throat. There were countless times he wanted to make a move or make his body go limp to make the torture stop, but it would be that simple. Xemnas wanted to cherish this. After what seemed like an eternity, his body finally gave in but as it started to do that, he felt those cold hands wrenched away, but why? The only fleeting sound he heard next was the sound of punches being thrown and then he heard his own body hit the floor. It was then that he had started to hear the all too familiar sounds of gun shots as they rang out into the night air, but he couldn't tell who or what the shots were being fired at and if they had hit their desired target.

"Roxas, Roxas…Roxas…come on, open your eyes, please, don't you go dying on me kid," there was a voice that was in Roxas' ears, far off and distant, but it was growing closer and clearer, "Open the door! For the love of God open th--"

"Get in here, I will not have you using the Lord's name in vain, come in quickly," the Minister of the Church that Axel had been pounding upon its doors, ushered him in before he caused anymore sound.


	22. Chapter 22

Disclaimer: Never have and never will own any of the characters mentioned in this.

AN: *bows apologetically* I know its been forever since I've posted anything to this fanfic, but family/personal life got to be one Hell of a nightmare and still is, College courses took over my time not to mention my Mother breathing down my neck on whether or not I should've been studying or if I had homework I could've been doing instead of dedicating my time to fanfics. If you've noticed on my Profile that I've taken a leave of abscence, still on it, dudes. But, I managed to get these 2 chapters, epilogue is being scrapped, I was running of energy and love for this towards the end and just felt I needed to just cut it off at the knes and just stitch up the ends.

I've got a slight new CloudLeon that's recently hit me because of some odd dream I had the last few nights, but I'm not gonna go into detail what it is, but I can say this, its mostly angst with some slightly suicidal Lion tendencies and one angry Wolf ready to whack his Lion a good one. But you don't get to see it till its finished and I won't post anything new, like New Story wise till I find work. That's still something I'm holding to. But if I manage to work on a chapter here and there, that's it. But no New Stories are getting posted. The occasional new chapter of a WIP fanfic, but nothing New, New.

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Saix rushed to the Boss' side as he helped the man to his feet, but soon found himself being brushed off by the man's hands, "Sir, are you alright?"

"Yes, but, once Axel and that kid return back here; it'll be not only Roxas last moments here on this Earth, they'll also be Axel's," Xemnas wiped away at a small bit of blood on his lip as he fought back the spiteful bile boiling into his throat from his hate for the redhead and now the little blond teen.

Xemnas' mind began to make plans for the two mentioned members and the in the days that followed, Xemnas had taken to hiding himself away from all and anyway contact with the Group. He was planning the demise for the runaway members; it was leaving unending tension within the Group of Members, leaving little room for anyone to relax. One false move around the man could set him off. No one was that stupid to push the man's buttons. Yet, the members were remaining alert for any changes, changes in the wind as to whether or not Axel and Roxas would come to their senses and return or changes in their Bosses mood for him to have them move out and look for them.

Axel wasn't stupid, he wasn't going to return to the House anytime soon especially with Roxas out cold in the Church pew. The two men had taken up sanctuary in the local church with Roxas as he waited for the blond to open his eyes or at least make some motion as to let the man known he wasn't looking at a half dead corpse. There was no denying that all that there was, was time and time was always an annoying topic to Axel as he shifted about in the pew, looking down on the quiet form of Roxas.

"You know something kid, you've had it better then I ever had; let's just say, when life hands you tragedy after tragedy. You start to question the big man upstairs," Axel's eyes coasted over Roxas' body and towards the statue of the crucified statue at the front of the Church, "I lost the first girl ever in my life…my sister, Namine; she was taken from too soon. When I look at you, your gentle nature; it reminds me too much of her and it makes this cold heart of mine ache."

He paused midway as he started to feel the one thing he was unsure he was able to ever do after the loss of his sister and having to witness death after death at the orders of his Boss. Tears. The one thing he had all but blocked out after watching the first death at the hands of orders by Xemnas; his body shook with the shaking of his tears as they racked his body. He seemed to throw himself onto the cold cobble stones of the sanctuary of the chapel, throwing himself on the mercy of just seeking peace of mind; in a muffled voice, he seemed to muttering the words of a soft prayer of deliverance from what he had done in the past. All to familiar were the words that seemed to pour from his lips; an old, but familiar rhyme that was a bedtime prayer for Axel and his sister before they went to bed. Their Mother would get down on her knees beside them and help them recite the prayer.

_Now I lay me down to sleep_

_I pray the Lord my soul to keep_

_If I should die before I wake_

_In your name I ask these things_

_Amen…_

"It's been a long time since I've heard those hallowed words," Father Yen Sid spoke up as he stood behind the lost man.

Axel sat back on his haunches as he wiped away at the tears that had streamed down his face in the moments he had taken to get on his knees and beg for forgiveness for all that he had done time and time again, "And it's been a long time since I've been in a church," he looked back to the resting figure of Roxas on the pew.

"I heard you talking to him and while I was watching you, the Lord was speaking to me and you know what he said?" Father Yen Sid moved to take a seat next to the man as they sat in the pew just ahead of Roxas.

Axel shrugged his shoulders, "Probably something along the lines of, 'Throw these bums out of here, they aren't worth my forgiveness', right?"

Father Yen Sid simply shook his head; it truly had been a long time since Axel had set foot in a chapel, Axel had all but stopped attending a Church shortly after Namine's death and just as quickly after joining the Family, "No, He said, 'It is not your duty or job to help this spiritually wounded man, but it is your calling as a man of God to help him'; that is what He told me," the man shifted about in his seat as he looked towards Axel, "When we experience grief or pain we feel or believe it is a way that the Lord was meant to help ease the blow."

"My life of pain didn't end with my sister's death," Axel began as he wrung his hands in his lap.

Father Yen Sid could sense the tension in the air as he calmly placed his hands on Axel's, "Talking about it may help ease the suffering in your heart."

"Okay, if you think it could help," Axel took a simple deep breath as he shakily blew it out before beginning, "It all started after my sister's death…"

~XXX~

In the months to almost years that followed his sister's early death that no one could have seen coming, but could have prevented at the time; his Mother's attempts to control her grief had become too much and it was becoming clear when she was found, dead. The grief had overcome his Mother and she had looked for a way to escape from the pain of her guilt and losing her daughter; she had managed to escape from it all and the responsibility to guide the only child she had left. She escaped by a simple act of suicide by drinking countless cups of tea that she, herself, had filled with large amounts of arsenic. The townsfolk were not surprised by her escape from reality and her life; they knew all to well that it was going to come sooner or later. Even before Axel's mother's passing; his Father had started to lose himself heavily into the bottom of a bottle of liquor. Drinking heavily as to lose him self from it all. His downward spiral didn't stop there; his Father had fallen into the world of gambling and was losing their family fortune faster then water lost during a drought in the midst of summer. The man had developed a heavy and extensive gambling debt with the local Mob family, the same one that Axel had been running with as long as he could remember. As far as in debt as the man was, he was facing trouble with the Mob and he was willing to do anything to pay them off; unfortunate as it seemed, the pay off was going to be deadly game that would end in someone's life lost. And another ending at that moment, an ending to a life of youth that had years still left to be a child; Axel mistakenly followed his Father to the Mob's hideout the day of the pay off.

What he heard and saw that day; he wished that there was some spell in the world to wash it from his memory.

"_We're going to play a little game, a game called Russian roulette, want to play, kid?" Axel stared frighteningly at the man that was holding the pistol in line of his field of vision; his eyes turned to his Father who was being held back by the other two in the room, "Well kid?"_

_Axel's father tried to make a deal with the men, but Axel was willing to do whatever to save his Father as he grabbed the pistol, holding it the temple of his head, "Sure, I'll play."_

_With that the game began…_

_The game got underway without incident; the gun was passed about, the chamber of the gun clicking as it showed that the singular bullet in the chamber was still somewhere in the chamber. Someone was still going to die tonight if the game didn't go the way it should've gone; the gun was aimed, shot, nothing, but it was passed back and forth between Father and son as it started to dwindle down to the Final Round of the chamber. _

"_Axel, please, just back out of this game now, I'll take the fall," his father managed to shakily get out to his son as he took the gun from his son's hands, aiming it at his head, yet again, another blank chamber._

_Axel took the gun from his father's shaking hands as he did the same, "No, I can't do that…"_

_Time was getting heavy as the Father took the gun once again, but this time, the pistol felt heavier, "Do or die time, Reno," the voice of the Boss spoke out from the shadows._

"There was sickening sound as the bullet hit its speed as it speed through the heated barrel of the pistol," Axel's voice caught in his throat as he fought back the bile burning at his throat, "I just sat there as the bullet ripped through my Dad's head, but after the game was done…I was given the option to join up with the Family and then that sound of splitting flesh and screams became second nature and nothing to me…"

Father Yen Sid leaned forward, "What made you take pity and save this boy even if you're supposed to be a cold hearted man?"

Sounds of Roxas stirring turned the men's attention to the pew behind them, Axel could see it too, "I guess I felt sorry for him; I guess since he was working at the Club, I figured, no family, no one to have to worry about him if something happened to him," Axel softly chuckled to himself, "Or I guess it could've been that he reminded me of my sister, who knows."

"Or it could be that you aren't as tough as you make yourself out to be," Roxas managed to speak up with half opened eyes.

"Roxas!" Axel shouted in a whisper because after all; he was still in a Church.

A soft smirk came on the boy's face, "I'm still alive if that's what you're inquiring…it'll take more then that big gorilla to take me out of the game," a soft wince came against his face as he tried to move, "But it'll take a while for me to get over that big gorilla's punches."

"Well, at least you aren't dead, that's all that matters," Axel chuckled, shaking his head side to side as he sat down beside Roxas on the pew.

"I'm going to go take my leave now, good night, gentlemen," Father Yen Sid stood up to take his leave as he saw Roxas resting his head into Axel's lap as Axel draped his jacket over the boy as the two men fell asleep; it was and had been a long night.

~XXX~

In the days that followed Roxas' harrowing escape, the two companions returned to manor; it was the only place they could go to and it was the one place they had to go to make their plan fall into a working order. The plan was to try and catch Xemnas in the act of confessing to the murder of Mr. Ansem at the Jazz Club the night that everything had occurred. Roxas' brother as well as the others of the Police Force would be waiting for the moment jump in and arrest the man before he ran. If Roxas wasn't planning to go into the Police Force now, he had a pretty good chance at doing that as a future career now. Father Yen Sid could only watch the two walk away as he whispered a humble prayer of protection for the two. They were, as it may have metaphorically seemed, walking into the lion's den and they were going to need all the help they could get, outside and spiritually.

As the two made up to the front steps of the Manor; their nerves were shot and they were shaking, but it was hidden the moment the front doors of the Manor opened to them and they were welcomed home. Internally, Roxas and Axel's inner conscious were screaming at them with warning bells and alarms that something was off, something was wrong; it was too easy for them to walk in. Everyone seemed different as they walked in, it seemed that Xemnas had ordered them to keep their distance from the boy; he wasn't done with him yet, especially Axel since he had saved the boy.

"Roxas, I wish to speak to you, in private," Xemnas seemed to purr as he motioned for the boy as he saw him walking past his room.

"Yes sir," Roxas sauntered into the man's room, skeptical about the reason for the sudden need to see him after the last time he had been in the man's room.

Xemnas shut the door, but left it unlocked, "First off, I wish to apologize for my behavior during our last encounter and secondly, I hope that you will take my apology and accept the position as the 13th Member of our Family."

Things were too calm, and the only time such a demeanor had ever been seen on the man was before someone ended up dead, "I will and thank you for the position, sir," Roxas seemed to play off the man's demeanor, but keeping an eye one whether or not the man was going to move on him in a way that was disturbing.

"Good," a small, evil smirk crossed Xemnas' lips as he made a motion behind his back to no one particular, but the one in the shadows, Saix.


	23. Chapter 23

Disclaimer: Never have and never will own any of the characters used.

AN: Sorry if this chapter came off short ^^; It was intended to be longer and come out a different way in how I had written and you were suppose to get an Epilogue but it's been months to maybe a Year or more since I've touched this, so, my love and desire to make it an epic ending and turn of events kinda phailed...I just wanted this finish. This is yet again, just another fanfic I'm finishing up posting to but not posting anything else. Its been sitting in my laptop and I figured I owed you guys an end to this. Still looking for work, but beside this, no New Works are coming from me still till a Job is found.

If you've been reading this fanfic. Thank You and Enjoy.

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Roxas took his leave shortly after his meeting with Xemnas; darkness was exuding from that man and Roxas had to escape it now and make his way to tell his brother the man was indeed a man that needed to be put away. He had seen enough of the man's dealings to know that the man was one of cruel intentions and from what he had stashed away among his things that he was starting to gather up; he was getting out of this house, tonight. Staying here much longer could mean utter death at the hands of the man he called Boss. Unfortunately for Roxas, Axel knew too well that Roxas was going to leave and it was going to mean that when Roxas turned in the findings; Axel was going to find himself pulled in with the others of the Family.

He had to change things for the better in hopes that he could get off on a lesser charge.

"So, you're mind is made up about the Boss' plans after all this time?" Axel was playing along with Roxas' actions as to make sure any of the others that could be around didn't catch on to what was going on, "You're just going to walk away?"

Roxas knew that Axel was only playing along as he looked over his shoulder to find the man leaned against the wall, staring at him, "I need to know why he kept me along for so long…why didn't he kill me off like my old Boss? What did he ever do?" his eyes turned on him with a look of utter hate, but it was also playing, keeping watch for anyone in the shadows besides Axel, "I need to know."

Axel knew the reason why the Boss wanted to keep Roxas within the Family still, but the image that he had painted of Xemnas the night that he told him his reasons, and warning him, that if he ever spoke to Roxas about it. The man would find himself ending up dead, much like Roxas' sadly departed Boss.

It was time, time to play the role, "You can't run on the Organization!" Axel shouted; he tried to reel back these words, but it was too late; he could see movement in the shadows, friend or foe? He didn't know.

"I was never part of the Organization to start," Roxas tried to keep on the track of catching the leader of this Family in the act and lead those hiding in the shadows on to what he was planning to try and set in motion to capture the Boss', "Besides, no one would miss me...besides...I'm already a dead man walking."

The sounds of shots could be heard ringing out through the street as the sound of someone falling to the ground, writhing in pain was heard among the muffled scream of another shot heard. Axel feared that Roxas had been killed upon finding the littered remains of the would-be assassin, but it was proven that he was alive. Upon the wind, dancing upon the current was a piece of paper with the words that had been in the briefcase the night that Roxas had been arrested in place of the Boss.

THE JOKE IS ON YOU

"Hmph, a kidder to the end, "Axel lightly chuckled at the joke as the sounds of a raid was sounding on the house doors were slamming open and voices were screaming in the house, "…I guess we're just a like, you and I, Roxas…we're just kidding ourselves and the World."

The note was intended as a joke, but Xemnas didn't see that way as the Police started to usher out every single member of his Family and into the waiting Police Cruisers. Axel came willingly as the Police slapped handcuffs on him, but they had orders to be not as harsh or rough with the man as they were with the others; Roxas watched from the side lines until the sound of a voice called out behind him. Roxas was nearly bowled over as he felt his brother's arms wrapping around him, rocking him in his arms.

"You stupid kid!" Cloud muffled against his little brother's head as he rocked Roxas back and forth in his arms, "…If Mom and Dad were alive…"

Roxas stopped his brother as he clung to him, "Heh…I'm just glad you're alive little brother."

"Cloud…can we go home now?" Roxas looked up his tear filled brother's face, "It's been a long night…"

"Yeah…it has, come on…" Cloud pushed his little brother on ahead of him, but Roxas kept close to his brother as they walked away from it all.

~The End~


End file.
